Melo insists that the players must step up and stick together.
New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony has conceded that he is starting to worry about the future of coach Mike Woodson following the team’s struggles this season.
The Knicks have slipped to 3-13 for the season and have lost the last nine consecutive games, leaving them with the joint worst record in the NBA along with the Milwaukee Bucks.
While owner James Dolan had tipped the franchise for the NBA championship this year, their pre-season promise has not been delivered as they have continued to struggle particularly at home.
As a result, the pressure is building on Woodson to turn things around but Anthony believes that the blame should be shouldered by the players.
“Yeah, we’re worried about that. But then again, we’ve got to worry about playing basketball, man,” Anthony said, according to ESPN.
“I think that’s been a problem in New York all this time. Everybody worries about what’s being said on the outside. As a team, we’ve got to stick together. We’ve got to control our locker room. We’ve got to control what happens on the basketball court.”
Last year, Woodson guided the Knicks to a 54-win regular season before they ultimately came unstuck against the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the playoffs.
Tyson Chandler’s absence through injury has hindered him significantly in recent weeks, but the Knicks have undoubtedly struggled to integrate their new players and adapt to a new playing style.
Known for their ball movement and three-point shooting last season, Woodson has had to divert away from that as he looks to find the team’s identity. With a clash against rivals the Brooklyn Nets later this week, he will be hoping to turn things around sooner rather than later.
However, the statistics are not in his favour as the Knicks currently rank 23rd in offensive efficiency whilst sitting in 27th place in defensive efficiency.
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