Phil Jackson Breaks Silence to Slander Melo on Twitter

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If you were expecting Phil Jackson to break his media silence with a professional press conference, think again. The Knicks president took to Twitter to take a thinly veiled shot at Carmelo Anthony and gave further fuel to the chaotic atmosphere that has become the Knicks since Melo hit the trading block.

The tweet centers around Jackson’s response to a highly critical article from Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding that questioned Melo’s will to win and alleged infatuation with the spotlight. Phil gave his seal of approval while comparing Melo’s shortcomings to 80s CBA journeyman named Michael Graham.

Graham played on the 1984 champion Georgetown Hoyas. His academic career was mired by off the court issues. Graham was drafted by the Supersonics but failed to make the final roster. He played four years in the CBA averaging 7.8 points and 6.6 rebounds.

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Yeah, this is the player Phil Jackson is comparing his star athlete to.

Never in a million years did I think Phil Jackson could turn the Knicks into a bigger joke than what we saw in the Isiah Thomas years. We have a toxic atmosphere where neither the players nor the coaches know what’s going on. Every day they’re out there trying to make sense of the rumors being leaked from Phil’s office or his minions in the media. It is clearly a major factor in the team’s recent tepid play, including last night’s debacle at home against the Lakers.

So what does Jackson do as our leader? Trashes the player he’s allegedly trying to get teams interested in trading for. It remains to be seen if this disrespect is enough to get Melo to trade his no-trade clause and essentially get ran out of town. And we wonder why most elite free agents have no interest in joining this mess.

Brandon Jennings and Courtney Lee Sound Off On Blowout Loss to Lakers

 

 

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The Knicks went into practice Tuesday afternoon still reeling from a shameful 121-107 home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.

The team played perhaps their worst game of the season and guards Brandon Jennings and Courtney Lee offered no excuses for the pitiful performance. Jennings had this to say to assembled media:

You can’t coach effort and energy. That’s something we should all have. I mean, we all make millions of dollars playing this game, so the least we can do is go out there and play hard every night.

Lee went as far as to offer an apology to the fans for their performance.

Definitely got to apologize to the fans and everybody that spent their hard-earned money to come watch us play. We definitely didn’t show up and compete at a level that we needed to compete at to win the game, especially in the situation we’re in right now and where we’re trying to go.

At this point, most Knick fans have reached a stage of complete apathy (present company included). Show me Knicks, quit telling me.

Defense-Challenged Knicks Get Embarrassed at MSG By Lakers

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Photo Credit: USA Today Sports Images

Getting blown out by the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers is one thing. Tonight, the Knicks proved themselves hopeless as they began an important four-game stretch by getting outhustled and pushed around by a struggling Lakers team to lose 121-107 at Madison Square Garden. The boos weren’t reserved for Melo this evening since it was the entire team that embarrassed themselves.

NO DEFENSE: The Knicks found themselves in a 10-point hole after the first quarter (19-29) by giving up 5 three-pointers and shooting just 37%. Things got no better in the second as Lou Williams abused our guards on the perimeter and Julius Randle feasted on the paint.

The Knicks went down by as much as 27 points in the first half. In the third, a few runs got it to 14, but the horrid defense prevented New York from getting any closer. The Lakers obliterated the Knicks in the paint 64-38 mostly off of PNR, back-door cuts and second chance buckets.

MELO A MAN ALONE: Because the entire team lacked effort, the MSG crowd couldn’t focus their venom on Melo. He didn’t give them much reason to being the sole Knick that shot well. Going 10/17 from the field, Melo finished with 26 points and 5 assists. Outside of his usual defensive lapses, Melo’s only other bad area was tallying 4 turnovers.

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ROSE  RUSTY, PORZINGIS OUT OF SORTS: Derrick Rose’s first game back from a badly sprained ankle is what you’d expect. He was completely out of rhythm over his 32 minutes, going 2/8 (5 points), having 3 turnovers and only 3 assists.

Kristaps Porzingis had no excuse. After a strong finish to the Nets game, he started 0/6 from the field and had just 1 point at halftime. He picked it up over the second half and finished with 16 points despite shooting 5/14. The rebounding was ok, but too often he got beat on simple PNR plays. For positives, he nearly had a double double with 9 boards and was not in foul trouble for a change (2 personals). I don’t buy the

I don’t buy the sore Achilles excuse; right now it’s all mental with KP.

BENCH POSITIVES: Everyone sucked defensively, but the bench had their moments. Brandon Jennings’s streaking shooting was pivotal in every run. He tried to push the pace, got to the line 7 times, and dished out 5 assists. Justin Holiday was 3/5 from downtown and finished with 14 points. And Willy Hernangomez in 24 minutes gave another example of why he should be starting with 8 points and 13 boards.

The Knicks are back at home Wednesday, February 8 to face the Clippers on ESPN.

https://youtu.be/b1sRvCEOYtM

 

Hernangomez and Porzingis Lead Knicks Comeback Over Nets

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With the starters shooting a combined 30% from the field and staring at a 10-point deficit early in the fourth, the Knicks had every reason to quit. But it was the bench, powered by a huge double double from Willy Hernangomez and a historic night from Sasha Vujacic, that helped Kristaps Porzingis show his potential as a closer in the Knicks’ 95-90 victory in Brooklyn.

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WHY ISN’T HERNANGOMEZ STARTING?: This kid continues to show his value every night on both sides of the floor. He helped hold Brook Lopez to 10 points by making the Nets star work on defense. On offense, Willy had some sweet fourth quarter plays, including a tip-in on a wild perimeter pass from KP, and a driving layup on Lopez that made 86-80 with under two minutes to go.

His most impressive play came with 1:09 remaining and the Knicks clinging to a 87-84 lead. Willy got an offensive rebound off a miss, was blocked, then gathered himself again for a tough layup. He gave a war cry and flexed. Our rook is becoming a man right before our eyes. Willy finished with 16 points and 16 boards (7 on the offensive glass).

https://youtu.be/ouQxyIBOxXY

KP IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT: With Melo having no legs and shooting terribly, Coach Hornacek made the wise decision to go with the bench and Porzingis to lead the comeback. It paid off with KP also having a double double (19 points, 12 boards) and some timely buckets. When the Knicks were down 10 early in the fourth, 66-76, KP hit two jumpers that ignited a 10-0 run. The chemistry with his BFF Hernangomez was great in keeping the Nets from their earlier feasting in the paint.

KP’s biggest play was a dagger three-pointer that made it 92-86 with 53 seconds remaining.

If we’ve learned one thing this season, it’s that the veterans struggle immensely on back to backs. For the rest of the season, I’d like to see Melo rest on those second nights while Porzingis gets acclimated to being the first option for full games.

https://youtu.be/jpyAKnaDd7c

Y’ALL MUST’VE FORGOT ABOUT SASHA!: Give Vujacic some credit; the man stays ready. We needed a spark and it came from Sasha, who became the first man in Knicks history to have two 4-point plays. The latter was part of the 10-0 fourth quarter run that got NY back in it. 12 points in 22 minutes is an excellent night’s work..

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DEAD STARTERS: From the opening tip, the energy and decision-making was abysmal from our starting five. There was no semblance of play calling — passes went nowhere along the perimeter until Melo had to heave a long jumper with the shot-clock expiring. They tallied six turnovers, shot 29% from the field, and scored just 15 points in the first quarter to the Nets’ 27.

It got no better as the game went on. Combined, the starters shot 18/57 (30%). Carmelo Anthony had one of his worst games this season, shooting a horrific 6/22 (15 points). Considering his strong play as of late, we can likely attribute this to fatigue from playing his third game in four nights.

Despite Anthony’s futility, the worst among the starters goes to Brandon Jennings, who shot a putrid 9% from the field (1/11). To his credit, he did manage 10 assists, many of them when matched with the bench.

https://youtu.be/DYkyr4vuTSA

 

 

Speedy Wizards Overwhelm Short-Handed Knicks 117-101

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Photo Credit: USA Today Sports Images

What happens when you’re coming off a four-overtime game and missing two of your star offensive players in Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick Rose? You get a Knicks team that couldn’t compete with the firepower of the Wizards, who had all their starters in double figures to easily defeat the Knicks 117-101

The Wizards came into tonight on a 15-game home winning streak and showed a poise and efficiency that the Knicks have been lacking for weeks.

2ND HALF COLLAPSE: The game had our usual pattern. Carmelo Anthony started fast with a 13-point first quarter on 5/7 shooting. But the warning signs (erratic foul shooting, suspect defense, stagnant offense) became more pronouned as the game wore on. The Knicks were only down 54-59 at the half, but were shooting 41%.

Any thought of this game being one the Knicks could steal was erased early in the third. The Wizards went on a 12-2 run to go up 71-56 and never looked back. With Melo being the only one that could create his own shot, the lead at several points ballooned as high as 20. By the 4:42 mark in the fourth, Coach Hornacek waved the white flag and emptied the bench.

Bradley Beal damaged us the most with 28 points. Wall finished with 15 points and 13 assists, and Markieff Morris added 24 points.

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BRIGHT SPOTS: Melo was our only consistent weapon, finishing with 26 points (10/17 FG) and 5 boards. Our best two-player was Willy Hernangomez, who started for KP and contributed 15 points, 14 boards and 4 assists. The fact our rook lead the team in assists gives you an idea how bad the ball movement was. Outside of Melo, the Knicks were 24/76 from the field for 32%.

Starting for Rose, Brandon Jennings had 21 points, 5 boards and 4 steals. Despite the high scoring, I can’t say he had a good game. As the starting PG, he only managed 2 assists, had 4 turnovers and shot 5/16 from the field.

The Knicks won’t have long to lick their wounds as we have the Nets tomorrow in Brooklyn.

 

 

Carmelo Anthony’s IG Post Hints at Rejecting Knicks Trade Talks?

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Today’s news on the Carmelo Anthoy trade front comes courtesy of a cryptic Instagram post from Melo himself.

The Knicks veteran’s picture caption speaks on not “running away” from difficult situations.

My first reaction when reading this is that Melo, who already told Phil Jackson face to face that he wanted to remain a Knick, does not plan on being ran out of town and won’t waive his No Trade Clause. And that he’s willing to endure more losing seasons until Porzingis develops and a better team is constructed.

However, we’d be remiss to not look at the other possible angle — that Melo’s “unpleasant” reality is realizing that he won’t be able to contend in New York and the time has come to part ways.

Kudos to Melo’s PR team because the wording is vague enough to make both interpretations valid depending on your feelings about the polarizing Knicks star.

Tell me your take in the below comments.

[Video] Courtney Lee’s Late Rally and Melo’s Clutch Shot Cap Comeback Over Hornets

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Photo Credit: USA Today Sports Images

Through the boos and struggles to the defend the three-point line, the Knicks persevered behind a surprise fourth-quarter barrage of playmaking from Courtney Lee and a clutch jumper from Carmelo Anthony to take a much-needed 110-107 win at Madison Square Garden.

KP’s HOT START: It finally looks like Porzingis’ shooting drought may come to an end. He had 10 points in the first quarter and two thunderous dunks in the second quarter. Things came off the wheels a bit in the third in that he didn’t score and got in foul trouble trying to contest the penetration of Kemba Walker and other guards. Unfortunately, it looks like until the Knicks get guards that can stay in front of their man, KP will be in chronic foul trouble.

He finished with 18 points (8/11), including a timely jumper to make it 107-101 in the final minute before fouling out. The 3 blocks were a huge plus as well. It’s broken record at this point, but the coaches and players need to find a way to keep KP involved on offense throughout the game.

https://youtu.be/JbWJf7NQHDg

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O’QUINN BOUNCES BACK: We’ve been lauding the potential of Willy Hernangomez so much we’ve overlooked how effective Kyle O’Quinn can be. He reminded us with a strong game: 10 points, 7 boards and 3 blocks. A few of those blocks came in crunch time when he swatted a Walker layup attempt and a three-pointer. The man even hit his first three of the season. No complaints.

JENNINGS STEPS UP: With Rose leaving the game with a sprained ankle in the third, it was on Brandon Jennings to step up. He did with marvelous 31-minute performance. We needed his scoring and he delivered with 15 points on 6/11 shooting, including a corner trey that put New York up 105-101 with less than 2 minutes remaining. When BJ is attacking the rim, you can’t ask for much better.

MELO SHUTS UP THE CROWD: It was sad to watch Melo getting booed on every touch. He was having a miserable shooting night (18 points, 8/26, 11 boards), and the crowd was letting him have it. Nevermind he was getting dumped the ball with 5-7 seconds on the shot clock and everyone standing around. The weeks of being made the media scapegoat for all the Knicks’s problems have created this atmosphere. Nonetheless, he still showed why he remains our best closer by hitting a driving baseline jumper on the final Knicks play. The shot came as O’Quinn was fouled underneath the basket, creating a three-point play to make 110-105 with 13 seconds left.

Lord knows I have my issues with Melo’s game, but the constant booing was ridiculous.

https://youtu.be/RG58kPA-U3w

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BUILD AROUND COURTNEY LEE!: Ok, I’m exaggerating a bit, but Lee’s fourth-quarter heroics show why we need him to be more aggressive on offense. With Melo unable to bail us out late in the shot clock, the Knicks desperately needed someone to make a play. Lee provided that, scoring nine straight points including a go-ahead three-pointer with 1:39 left. He did it on an array of shots: a mid-range jumper, contested layups and a three.

The most important play from Lee came off a steal and fast-break where he dished to an open Jennings for a corner three-pointer.

I think our sense of urgency is picking up and we realize that we can’t keep saying it’s early in the season. We’re four or five games out of the playoffs, I think we realize now that time is running out.

With Lee’s talent there’s no reason he can’t be a consistent 13-16 point scorer. Let’s hope he keeps this desperation mentality for the rest of the season.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE DEFENSE MAKES: The Hornets were having their way through three quarters, particularly from the three-point line. Of their 13 treys, five of them came from Marvin Williams, who was repeatedly left open. Rose couldn’t stay in front of Walker, who dropped 31 points. It wasn’t until the fourth when the Knicks clamped down to hold Charlotte to six minutes without scoring. New York finished the game on a 17-5 run to cap the comeback.

https://youtu.be/rwgxP0Ly12o

Knicks Reached Out to Celtics and Clippers for Melo Trade Talks

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It turns out the Cavs weren’t the only team the Knicks targeted for a Melo trade. The Knicks are also trying to engage the Los Angeles Clippers and Boston Celtics to deal Carmelo Anthony before the February 23 trade deadline.

According to The Vertical, Knicks president Phil Jackson is determined to get rid of Anthony and start to rebuild around Kristaps Porzingis. A potential trade would relieve the Knicks of the 2.5 years remaining on Melo’s contract, which totals $78.6 million and runs through the 2018-2019 season.

Unconfirmed sources claim Anthony would consider playing for the Clippers, where he could be paired with close friend Chris Paul. Boston remains an intriguing option for the Knicks if they can get the Celtics’ 1st round pick, which was acquired from Boston several years ago during the trades for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.

As of yesterday, Anthony has stated the Knicks front office has not contacted him regarding any trade talks.

I loathe the thought of having to hear about this drama for the rest of the season. Unfortunately, it appears this is our new reality as Knick fans. Melo got the no-trade clause for a reason and every indication seems to be he wants to stick it out here. He always dreamed of playing here and he hedging his bets on outlasting Phil. Griffin is a very good player, but I’d rather have Boston’s 1st rounder to get one of the promising PGs in the upcoming draft.

Like I said yesterday, we’re long shots to get either the Clippers or Boston to bite on this trade. Melo’s a more versatile scorer than Griffin, but he’s also five years older and one more significant injury away from being washed. And Boston likely gets a Top 3 pick this year and potentially a young star to join their strong core over an aging great player that won’t be enough to get them past Cleveland nor Toronto.

The “Melo-Drama” is just beginning. Thanks, Phil.

Cavs Turn Down Knicks’ Melo for Love Trade Inquiry

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The Knicks’ first trade inquiry for Carmelo Anthony did not gain traction as the Cleveland expressed no interest in a proposed swap for Kevin Love.

According to ESPN, the Knicks contacted Cleveland’s front office earlier today to gauge interest. The plan was if the Cavs were receptive, the Knicks could approach Anthony about waiving his no-trade clause for the opportunity to play for a contender.

Unfortunately for the Knicks, this idea comes about two years too late. Anthony, while still a formidable player and borderline all-star, is a 32-year-old whose explosiveness and lift have been permanently damaged from season-ending knee surgery in 2014. Although Love has struggled recently, he’s still in his athletic prime at 28 with no significant injury history.

Rumors of a potential Melo trade heated up earlier this week when the Cavs lost in embarrassing fashion to an Anthony Davis-less Pelicans, prompting LeBron James to tell the media the team’s personnel was lacking and they needed “a fucking playmaker.”

Next on the Knicks’ list will probably be the Clippers (Blake for Melo) and the Celtics (Melo for a pick). The Clippers will probably give the same answer as Griffin also has youth on his side. As for Boston, I can’t see them parting with a 1st round pick since a Melo acquisition wouldn’t be enough to put them over the Cavs or possibly even the Raptors in a playoff battle.

Love him or hate ’em, Carmelo is very likely to at least finish out the year in New York.

Melo’s Clutch Shots Lead Knicks Past Pacers 109-103

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Wait a minute… we won a close game? No heart-breaking game-winners from the opposing team? Some solid defense and clutch buckets? Who are these guys?! The Knicks appeared on their way to a colossal fourth quarter collapse, but Melo’s two clutch shots and a pair of Courtney Lee free throws helped the Knicks escape with their first win in Indiana since 2012.

This was a win that cemented one thing above anything — there needs to be a definite change at center going forward.

HERNANGOMEZ STEPS UP: The Knicks looked on their way to a blowout defeat after falling behind 14 points in the opening quarter. The effort was just bad all-around with 7 turnovers and New York shooting just 39%. Hernangomez coming in for Noah proved vital as he delivered 10 first half points and was a strong presence on the glass. Playing with Kyle O’Quinn, the Knicks were able to put together a 26-12 run to tie the game at 46 in the second.

He kept up his energy and helped the offense tremendously with his screens. He finished with a double double (14 points, 10 boards, 2 blocks). Its now become impossible to argue for Noah keeping his starting job. Hernangomez is bringing a totally different dynamic. Teams can’t sag off him on defense and his nifty post moves make him the offensive threat that Noah simply isn’t. Willy should not be getting any more DNP’s for the rest of the year.

https://youtu.be/1wKp9yHwVlI

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ROSE’S COURT AWARENESS PROBLEM: When you look at Rose’s stat line, it seems solid — 20 points (7/16), 6 assists and a +8 for the game. You’d never guess that he did everything within his power to blow the game in crunch time. Indy went on a 15-2 run to slice a double-digit fourth quarter deficit to 100-97 with less than four minutes remaining. In that span, Rose over-dribbled to a near shot-clock violation while ignoring an open Porzingis, missed a contested layup, and turned the ball over.

Yes, Rose has hit some timely fourth quarter shots this season. But he’s displayed far too much tunnel vision during this losing streak. The aforementioned bad plays went totally against the ball movement that got them the lead.

MELO SAVES THE DAY: We needed a clutch performance and Melo delivered (26 points, 9/17, 6/7 FTs). His offense was consistent the entire game. He dropped 12 points in the first quarter and 17 at the half. He had 21 after three and was the only Knick to score a field goal over the last two minutes. One was a classic bully ball post-up on Paul George, and the second was a quick bassline jumper over Jeff Teague to put New York up 105-103 with 23 seconds remaining.

JENNINGS AND HOLIDAY: Along with Hernangomez, these two were the reasons our bench had such a dynamic performance. Brandon Jennings pushed the pace during the second quarter run that saw the Knicks outscore the Pacers 40-24. Jennings played under control and picked his spots well, balancing between his own offense (9 points) and finding the open man (6 assists). Justin Holiday was a true two-player tonight. He prevented the game-tying three with a block on C.J. Miles, and he went 3/7 from downtown. He’s another young gun that showed he can handle big minutes.

Justin Holiday was a true two-player tonight. He prevented the game-tying three with a block on C.J. Miles, and he went 3/7 from downtown. He’s another young gun that showed he can handle big minutes.

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KP STILL NOT HIMSELF: Three games into his comeback and I’m wondering if Kristaps Porzingis returned too soon. The team tried to get him going in the first and he could only manage 2 points on 1-7 shooting. He finished 3/11 and fouled out with 8 points. Melo can’t carry us every night so KP getting back to his early season form is our only hope of prolonged success over the next 2-3 months.

Next up is a road meeting against the Mavericks on Wednesday.