Carmelo Anthony is no stranger to the pressure of leading the Knicks’ offense almost single-handedly. But in recent times, the team has made significant investments to ensure Jalen Brunson isn’t left to shoulder the load alone. Despite these efforts, during their four-game losing streak leading into Wednesday’s match, the much-needed support for Brunson was conspicuously absent.

This lack of support has rendered the Knicks’ strategy rather predictable, a flaw that became particularly evident during their heavy defeat against the Detroit Pistons on Monday.

Speaking on “NBA Showtime” with NBC, Anthony expressed his frustration. “Watching the game got me really frustrated,” he remarked on Tuesday. “In the closing moments, the offense becomes so predictable. Jalen Brunson is carrying too much of the load night after night. The margin for error is tiny. Without an easy offense, the Knicks miss shots that lead to fast breaks for the opponents. The focus is solely on Brunson, with no movement or dynamic play, which results in stagnation. It’s almost like being outplayed, even though I hate to say it.”

During the defeat against the Pistons, both OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns attempted just four shots each, ending the game with five and six points, respectively. Mikal Bridges contributed only 10 points. In contrast, Brunson took 21 shots—more than twice as many as any of his teammates—and scored 25 points.

In that loss to the Pistons, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns took just four shots apiece and finished with five and six points, respectively. Mikal Bridges had just 10 points. Brunson, meanwhile, took 21 shots — more than double any of his teammates — and recorded 25 points.

“I was watching the game [Monday] night and I’m, like ‘Where’s KAT? Where’s OG? We can’t rely on [Tyler] Kolek like that,” Anthony said. “What he gives us is a plus. He can get down, he can play off pick-and-roll, but on a night-to-night basis, who’s gonna be the Knicks’ second option? And the second option cannot be indecisive. … KAT can’t have six [points] and one [rebound] and OG gotta step up.”

Entering the season, one of coach Mike Brown’s primary missions was to take some of that exact pressure away from Brunson and let him play off the ball, giving more responsibility to others to set up the offense and facilitate. That, Brown believed, would create easier, more open looks for Brunson and lead to a more dynamic offense.

It requires ball movement. For most of the first half of the year, Brunson did a good job getting the ball out of his hands and cutting off the ball. But, with Josh Hart sidelined with a sprained ankle, there are not many options to handle playmaking duties and allow Brunson to do that — and to also create open looks for Anunoby, Towns and Bridges.

That has led to a return to the isolation-heavy offense — with long stretches of the ball in Brunson’s hands and little movement — that was common under Tom Thibodeau last year.

“We’re not getting off it like we were in the past,” Brown said. “You gotta make quick decisions and as soon as you feel another body come to you, you gotta get off it. And right now, we’re not doing it. We’re holding onto it too much, trying to force the issue too much. We have five staples and we’re not playing or adhering to what our staples are of late.”