The New York Knicks have five wins on the season and are currently in the midst of an eight-game losing streak. There are no signs of improvement as injuries continue to hit hard and confusion remains around the triangle offense. Baring some kind of miracle turnaround, the Knicks will likely rest at the bottom of the league for the remainder of the season which leaves Phil Jackson to make some tough moves before the NBA trade deadline approaches.
The first concern for the Knicks is Carmelo Anthony. The guard left the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at halftime with a sore knee. This injury has been creeping around for the better part of a month leaving Anthony's production on the court to be inconsistent. He has missed four games due to knee issues. Now the question is whether or not Anthony should be shut down for a lengthy period of time. The star is the face of the franchise and someone that will be critical to the Knicks' turnaround in seasons to come. New York needs him healthy which could lead to some time off the court for rest. Derek Fisher denies the idea.
"Carmelo is Carmelo. We don't necessarily make decisions for him," Fisher said, via ESPN.com. "He's part of the conversation. So we have opinions that we've expressed to him. We talk about different things, but really it is a decision that he has to also want to make for himself and his career. He's also conferenced about the team and his teammates, and so we'll continue to find a right balance of it all."
Injuries are a big issue for the Knicks right now. Amar'e Stoudemire is out with a knee injury. JR Smith is still dealing with plantar fascia in his foot while Samuel Dalembert and Andrea Bargnani sit for various issues. Iman Shumpert is working his way back from a dislocated shoulder as Tim Hardaway Jr works to carry the weight of the team. The Knicks would ideally like to make a trade before the deadline to help get some kind of push late in the season, but injuries are hurting Jackson's efforts.
