Carmelo: Knicks May Not Come Together Until Next Season
NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) -- Times aren't so great for the Knicks following their blockbuster trade for Carmelo Anthony.
The Knicks are 7-8 since landing the superstar, and New York is stumbling toward mediocrity after losing five of the last six.
"For everyone to get 100 percent on the same page, it might take next season," Anthony said after the Knicks' 100-95 to the Bucks. "But right now, in this short period of time, we've just got to come together as a unit. As far as everybody jelling and the chemistry and clicking to where we want to be at, it's going to take some time."
The Knicks got off to a dismal start, missing 11 of their first 12 shots to fall behind by double digits in the first six minutes. New York trailed 32-9 after the first, the lowest-scoring first quarter for the Knicks in 55 years, according to STATS, LLC, and the worst offensive output in any quarter in nearly four years.
"After nine points, I was kind of worried," said Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni. "There was a fleeting moment I went, 'What the heck?'"
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"We're losing games, some games that we're supposed to win," Anthony said. "But that's neither here nor there. It's a learning process. We ain't even been together three weeks. So I'm not really concerned about where we are as a team or us losing games or winning games. As long as we get better at the things we need to get better at, I'm cool with it."
The Knicks will attempt to begin pulling out of their funk as they face the Celtics at Madison Square Garden on Monday night in the opener of a difficult three-game homestand.
One of the problems has been poor defensive play, and New York has show some improvement over the last three games. The Knicks have allowed an average of 99.3 points after giving up 117.3 over the previous three.
"They're frustrated, and that's good," D'Antoni said. "We're trying to get this done. We'll get it done. It's just a matter of staying calm and knowing our problems and working through them."
Will the Knicks sort out their problems in time for the playoffs? Sound off in the comments below...
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