Tuesday, March 13th, 2012 at 10:35 am  |  90 responses

Report: Carmelo Anthony Unhappy With Head Coach Mike D’Antoni


The New York Knicks are experiencing an ugly slide, and there have been indications that Carmelo Anthony isn’t the happiest of campers these days. According to the NY Post, Melo’s beef is with the Knicks’ head coach, Mike D’Antoni: “As the trade deadline approaches Thursday, the relationship between Mike D’Antoni and Carmelo Anthony appears to be deteriorating. There are several indications the alliance is getting worse, not better, and it seems inconceivable both will be back in New York next season. According to a source familiar with the situation, Anthony is disgruntled and he may have given off those signs when he didn’t join the huddle during a third-quarter timeout. (Anthony claimed that occurs often). Anything bold happening at the trade deadline would seem unlikely. D’Antoni is more likely to get fired than Anthony get traded after the Knicks dropped their sixth straight game, 104-99, to the Bulls. Anthony, who was benched the entire fourth quarter Sunday and didn’t seem happy about it afterward, finished with 21 points but took 21 shots to get there. The Knicks are 2-8 since Anthony returned from injury and D’Antoni continues to stress running the club through Jeremy Lin and not Anthony because that’s what spawned the 8-1 Linning streak and turned the Knicks into a global story. D’Antoni heard brief ‘Fire D’Antoni’ chants Sunday. He has admitted the team’s psyche and spirit has reached a low point just weeks from the Knicks being on top of the sports world. The D’Antoni-Anthony-Lin troika is not working.”

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  • http://www.twitter.com DFrance21

    It’s not so much as blame D’Antoni for them not winning as it is D’Antoni needs to be replaced because the only system he knows, or is willing to run, doesn’t fit with the personnell he has. Just shipping out Melo won’t solve the problem, but i think an overhaul of the coaching staff at this point will work wonders for the Knicks. Phil Jax is a former Knick and I think if they get one more star in NY, his ego will bring him back into coaching.

  • IAMORANGE4EVER

    @DFrance21 agreed, D’Antoni’s just doesn’t seem like the right fit. I want Coach Phil Jackson. Other coaches to take a look at if Phil Jackson isn’t coming back, are Brian Shaw, Monty Williams, and Nate McMillan.

  • RunNGun

    Melo the best scorer in the league? Hahaha… some homer has been watching too much ESPN.

  • http://nyill.wordpress.com/ O

    There’s been word that Phil Jackson wants to go “full circle” with his career. Where’d he start his NBA career again? Also they say that all Dolan has to do is make him the President just like Miami did Pat Riley and let Jackson run the entire show. Let’s be real, the Knicks have great pieces on the squad. We just need someone who knows how to make each player effective in their own right and hold them responsible whenever they don’t hustle. I feel bad for Antoni, but come on, son alienates anyone he doesn’t feel comfortable with.

  • http://slamonline.com The Philosopher

    8-1 when he pulled his groin.
    2-8 when he came back.
    Numbers don’t lie.
    Anthony’s bottom is falling out in a quite spectacular fashion.
    Trade him… yesterday.
    I have a newfound respect for George Karl.
    He was spot on the entire time.

  • IAMORANGE4EVER

    I see Philosopher is smoking crack today.

  • http://slamonline.com The Philosopher

    My bad, IAMORANGE…
    But it’s tinged with a little truth.
    Not me smoking crack. lol
    Anthony’s bottom falling out.
    Anthony regressing.
    Anthony not being a team player.
    Anthony not being a great player.
    Anthony not being a leader.
    The Knicks being a better team without him, as the numbers reflect.

  • http://slamonline.com The Philosopher

    Besides, how can we take a guy seriously when, he fakes his death for 5 minutes after running into Kevin Durant’s bird chest?

  • @boweezy24

    Maybe Melo Isn’t a Coachable Player? and Yeah, He Doesn’t Fit With The Program. Theirs Times When Ya Take Over and Do Your Own Thing. Great Players Probably Can Adapt and Still Be a Dominant Player. TRADE MELO!

  • IAMORANGE4EVER

    @Philosopher bit/ches try to kick me while I’m down, I break your leg. It’s a little too late to say that you’re sorry now! Excuse me, I just had a Eminem featuring Lil Wayne – No love moment.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Phil Jackson only runs the triangle and he doesn’t change that for anyone. And people think it’s smart when he does it.
    It all depends on if you’re winning.
    The rules aren’t set in stone.

  • IAMORANGE4EVER

    Be good or be good at it!

  • http://slamonline.com The Philosopher

    ORANGE is the MAN!!
    And, I have more sympathy for you than anyone on these boards.
    I was really hoping that the Knicks did some things this season.
    There’s still time, though.

  • IAMORANGE4EVER

    Plenty of time.

  • MUBWAR

    everyone should have sympathy for orange. his team is as bad as the raptors but at least we don’t have 3 guys making 15m 19m and 20m for the next few years. gotham is cursed

  • IAMORANGE4EVER

    Gets your jokes in now, while you can. ;)

  • http://slam Smitty

    I am so sick and tired of Carmelo being blamed for these losses. How about blaming Amare for only grabbing 3 rebounds last night, and standing around on D? How about blaming Lin for turning the ball over all the time? Carmelo is the best scorer in the league, and it would be wise for the New York to start running plays for him down the stretch. It makes a lot of sense to get your best player the ball!

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Just run the pick and roll with Amare and tell Chandler to get on the glass. And give Melo his isolations on the block. I don’t understand why this is so hard to do. And tell Lin to pass that damn ball when Amare rolls.

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    I was wondering that about Lin? Orange you part of New Yorkthat actually gets to watch Knicks games on the reg? Does Lin just not know how to feed the roll man in a short court? (I am NOT talking sh*t. I have not seen enough Jeremy Lin to figure out why he struggles to get the ball to the roller more often & efficiently)

  • MikeC.

    NY needs a shakeup for sure. All the pieces are there. A little thin at backup 4. Novak can’t back up the 4 and play 2nd unit minutes. He’s too light and too perimter oriented (as he should be considering his jumper is soaking wet). They need to find a rotation that gets Novak minutes backing up the 3-spot. Then that cuts into some of Shumpert’s small-ball minutes. What the heck happened to Billy Walker and Tony Douglas? Those guys went from starting to ghost.

  • startown

    Carmelo is a great talent, but does very little to put W’s in the win column, J Lin was a nice story but he is not by any means a dominant player. I like the rookie (Shumpert) the best

  • MikeC.

    @Allenp – I’ve been screaming that at my TV all season. Why the eff is Chandler the primary screener on P&R sets? Amare is one of the best P&R finishers the league has ever seen. So D’Antoni sets him up on the weakside to shoot contested 17-footers while Chandler struggles to catch the ball with that boxing glove/sleeve brace. D’Antoni might struggle to utilize Melo properly because the system calls for ball and player movement and Melo’s game is post up and iso. Sure, that makes sense. But how the heck does D’Antoni not know how to utilize Amare?!? I gotta bounce for a bit. I’m getting too worked up. My left arm is starting to hurt.

  • http://nyill.wordpress.com/ O

    Lin will be OK. I’ve been said that Lin would be the ideal backup PG for an actual 1. As far as his left side dribble and ball handling goes, i’m sure he’ll work on that during the offseason. I read that last year he hired a shooting coach to help him work on his outside shot. That was before he even got any minutes on a team. Now that his card has been pulled by other teams, i’m positive he’s gonna correct it.

  • IAMORANGE4EVER

    nbk, the answer is within you. You’re welcome.

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    Well atleast I didn’t have to ask you if you were still a douchebag

  • ugly_fish

    I don’t think its a coincidence that the Nuggets got better when Carmelo left and the Amare-led Knicks started to suck when Melo joined. Neither do I think the same is when Melo left they were 8-1 and now when he is back they are 2-8. Philosopher is right; the numbers don’t lie. You can blame D’Antoni but the truth is; he was fine when Melo was in Denver and when Melo was injured!!!

  • Tad

    Phil Jackson is the only who can coach this team. If they can’t convince Phil Jackson to come back this off-season then they should blow this team up. Lakers went through this too before they got Phil, he’s the only guy who could save them.

  • TripleDouble

    Jackson is never coaching again. Read that Simmons article from last year… (I think). Ain’t happening. Unfortunately.

  • j

    they need training camp

  • http://www.nba.com VanCityBBall

    all im asking for from STAT as a general basketball fan, is at least 2 rebounds a quarter. that would make me happier because at least hes taking baby steps. as for melo everything that could have been said has been said but if he is gunna hog the ball i’d rather have him be in the post more, like lebron, instead of fades over the defender with 21 on the shot clock

  • http://idunkonthem.blogspot.com albie1kenobi

    Lin isn’t bad on pick n roll, the problem is his pick n roll mate. Lin is able to find chandler on quite many rolls, but he’s not a finisher like amare. that said, amare is clearly way less mobile than before, as he’s not getting any lift to finish around the rim.
    what about having both guards do pick and rolls with the bigs? Fields is very versatile and can definitely score or pass with P’n'R.
    when neither amare nor carmelo touch the ball in multiple possessions, there’re major problems.

  • RunNGun

    Wow… clamoring for Phil Jackson? You can quit holding your breath; the guy is done with basketball. Though the triple post offense can be effective, there isn’t much there when the coach leaves. Just look at all the teams Jackson has coached. Sure, they’ve won some rings, but after Jackson leaves it goes to hell along with that team’s future. Just look at how long it took Chicago to recover.

  • seun

    Melo is having an absolute terrible season, he is averaging just 21 ppg and has a per of 18, to put it into perspective kevin marin has a per of 17 and monta ellis has a per of 19. Stats can be deceiving at tims but in this situation the stats don’t lie monta ellis is having a better season that Carmelo Anthony. I never thought melo was ever a true superstar but i always thought he would be better than this; absolute terrible. To bad they can’t trade him and they’ll probably end of firing Mike D’Antoni, but if melo keeps playing like this then he’ll get traded himself this time next year.

  • http://facebook.com/tronjohnson Chief

    @Dfrance21, I’m with you on this shite coaching job by one of the moat overrated coaches of the modern era. George Karl is an up tempo coach too, that’s why that never worked either. When has D’Antoni had both pieces of the NBA championship together on one squad? Nevermind that you need to be lucky which obviously Mike never has had. One guy I’d never go to Vegas with for sure. All these bandwagon Knicks fans when are you going to have an Elite Scoring SF of his caliber if ever again? Never if you run him out for a sub-par pg who no one knew two months ago and a coach who hasn’t done jack shite.

  • alphabeta

    D’bagAntoni has to go. Under a proper coach, hell just call back JVG, they can still win games.

  • http://www.slamonline.com TADOne

    I remember when Amare used to dominate Duncan. My how times have changed.

  • Mack

    Melo has to step up and lead the team by example. He had an outstanding group of players around him and he could definitely win with this Knicks team

  • SikhWitIt

    I think George Karl did a remarkable job with Melo in Denver; they went deep into the playoffs and got beat by teams that were simply better than them. Coach Karl is far superior to D’Antoni. Having said that, when he’s clashed with every coach he’s ever played for in his NBA career, it’s time for Melo to look in the mirror and figure out a way to work past his issues and start being productive. That kind of an attitude never begets winning. Coach Karl was right.

  • trueballer4life

    so much for lining.. tNy better trade melo and get something for him or draft picks..

  • KidCongo

    Report: New Yorkers unhappy with forward Carmelo Anthony

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