LOS ANGELES — The Knicks will practice Tuesday at UCLA’s practice gym, named the John Wooden Center. If only the old Bruins legend were still alive to teach the 2013-14 Knicks to play team basketball.
The Knicks and Nets have combined to lose 11 straight games. New York City is supposed to be “The Mecca of Basketball,’’ but there’s better teamwork and chemistry being displayed on the West 4th Street courts in Greenwich Village.
For the third straight game, Amar’e Stoudemire went on a rant about needing better “ball movement.’’ It’s really been a theme of his ever since Carmelo Anthony got to town in February 2011. But Stoudemire took it a step further late Monday night in the visitor’s locker room at Portland’s Moda Center.
Stoudemire probably isn’t taking on Anthony nearly as much as J.R. Smith, who was 2-of-8 shooting and has not played well since returning for the team’s sixth game following a five-game drug suspension. The Knicks are 1-7 since Smith’s return.
Does Stoudemire miss his former Suns and Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni? Sure sounds like it.
“Until we figure that part out, there’ll be a lot of nights like this,’’ Stoudemire said. “It’s hard for any player to get a good rhythm when the ball don’t move. I’ve been playing my entire career when the ball moved and everybody had career years. When the ball doesn’t move, guys don’t get into a rhythm. It makes it tough for the teammates to have fun out there. Teams that move the ball win. Teams that don’t move the ball, don’t.’’
Realizing it may have sounded like he was taking a shot at the head coach, Stoudemire added, “Coach Woodson is doing a phenomenal job teaching the game. It’s up to us as players to listen and to do it.’’
Iman Shumpert, who may have had his worst game as a pro Monday night, also chimed in on the ball-movement theme. Shumpert was scoreless with two turnovers, zero rebounds, steals or assists and was a minus-22. It was so bad Woodson said he would talk to Shumpert on Tuesday at the Wooden Center “to see what’s going on.’’
“If we move the ball better, everyone will get better,’’ Shumpert said. “The ball is sticking. It’s from frustration, guys wanting to do more.’’
The Knicks are ranked last in the NBA in assists. Also noteworthy is Shumpert and Stoudemire are both represented by influential agent Happy Walters.
Anthony took some contested shots but had the hot hand (13-of-25 shooting), finishing with 34 points, 15 rebounds and three assists.
Smith looks sluggish. It’s not easy thing to have missed all but one preseason game and the first five regular-season games. He also missed much of the summer rehabbing from knee surgery instead of working on his basketball.
This shouldn’t be a shocker. How well Smith returned from left-knee surgery — he had his torn meniscus and chipped patella tendon repaired — was a preseason question mark. With Smith and Shumpert struggling, Woodson still decided on giving a rare DNP to rookie Tim Hardaway Jr.
The talk about the offensive flow hides a bigger issue of the club’s defense in the first quarter, when the Knicks were outscored 34-18. The Knicks embarrassed themselves, allowing Portland stars Nicolas Batum and Damian Lillard open 3-pointers while Robin Lopez paraded to the hole for layups. The Knicks stabilized the defense in the final three quarters, but it was too late.
The Knicks may get back point guard Raymond Felton for Wednesday’s game against the Clippers. Felton shut it down for four games to see if the pinched nerve in his hip could heal. He probably needs more time, but time could be running out. Felton prides himself on being a warrior and the battle out West is being lost without him.
Next door to the UCLA’s gym is the campus bookstore with a display of about a dozen books written by or about Wooden, including “The Pyramid of Success.” It wouldn’t hurt for some of the Knicks players to buy a couple.