Q&A with Knicks' Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony's first month in New York has been anything but pleasant. Or successful, really. Since acquiring the All-Star forward as part of a three-team, 13-player trade in February, the Knicks (36-38) have lost 12 of 20 games to sit in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. As they close out a brutal final stretch to the season, Anthony opened up to SI.com about the current state of the team, his transition to New York and his expectations for the future.

SI.com: Describe your first month with the Knicks?

Anthony: It's been a whirlwind, man, with trying to get adjusted to everything -- living, getting acclimated to the city, getting acclimated to the team. It's been a lot. For the most part, it's been challenging but fun at the same time.

SI.com: Have you settled into a new home?

Anthony: No, we're still looking. We checked out a couple of places but haven't found anything yet. That's the hard part, trying to find a place to live, especially with how fast everything has happened.

SI.com: What's been the biggest challenge for you in coming to New York?

Anthony: When you have 12 new guys on a team with 12 different personalities, you have to make it work overnight. We didn't have a training camp. We only have eight games left [in the regular season], so it's a challenge to try to make it work. But having confidence in knowing that it can work is the best thing.

SI.com: Do you foresee yourself having to change your style to fit in with the new personnel?

Anthony: Anytime you come into a new situation, you have to adjust something. Right now, there is a lot of adjusting -- not just for me but for everybody on the team. We'll figure it out as time goes on.

SI.com: How is working with Mike D'Antoni different than George Karl?

Anthony: The style of play. The way Coach Mike wants to get up and down the floor; he wants to play fast. For the most part, it has been good. This is a new situation for him, too. He's been here a few years, but for him to have a group of guys that come together in the middle of the season and have to jell in less than a month, it's been challenging. But he's been doing great.

SI.com: The team has been criticized for its lack of defensive intensity at times. How would you describe yourself as a defender?

Anthony: I have a lot of pride. That's what you have to have in this league, and I think at the end of the day, hard work does pay off.

SI.com: GM Donnie Walsh recently said this Knicks team is a work in progress. What do you think the team needs?

Anthony: What's needed is neither here nor there. I can't really speak on that right now because we have to focus on the guys we have. Then we'll see what happens from there. I'll let the front office do its job.

SI.com: The win over Orlando on Monday seemed to steady what has been a rough few weeks. What can you take from the game into the playoffs?

Anthony: We have to take the intensity we played with -- the energy, the focus that we had. And I think we have to take that anger, the fight that we showed out there to win that game.

SI.com: What will be the measure for success for the Knicks in the playoffs?

Anthony: First, we want to finish the season out strong and get to the playoffs. As for the playoffs, anything can happen, so we just want to keep playing the way we did against Orlando and keep it going and be heard.