NBA

Melo: Knicks have to move on from trade deadline

ORLANDO, Fla. — Carmelo Anthony isn’t sure whether the Knicks standing pat at the trade deadline while their competitors improved was the right or wrong thing to do. But he knows not to dwell on it.

“We didn’t make any moves,’’ Anthony said after the latest disastrous loss, a 129-121 double-overtime defeat to the Magic on Friday night. “Should we have or not? That’s not for me to say. We didn’t, we move on. We have the same team and have to move on.’’

Anthony has specifically said he wants owner James Dolan to present him with a blueprint for the future after the season, and didn’t seem too concerned about the trade deadline.

Coach Mike Woodson hopes the passing of the deadline calms Iman Shumpert and Raymond Felton, both of whom were shopped,.

“I like to think [they’ll be more relaxed],’’ Woodson said. “When you approached that trade deadline, rumors out there about guys being moved, sometimes it affects guys, how they perform on the floor. Now it’s behind us and we can move on and try to finish [the season] on a high note.’’


Shumpert didn’t get traded, but he might have lost his starting job to J.R. Smith. Because Shumpert is out two weeks with a sprained MCL in his left knee, Smith started on Friday but shot just 4 of 14 in his third game wearing a protective mask.

While Woodson said he’ll “welcome [Shumpert] back with open arms, he said Smith could keep the starting job if things are going smoothly.

“There’s a possibility that could happen,’’ Woodson said before the game. “When starters get hurt, I don’t normally scale them back because of injury, but it depends on how we’re playing. “At this point, it doesn’t matter now who gets hurt, who comes back. It’s about trying to win games. If J.R. is playing well, I might not fool with the lineup. We’ll play it by ear and see how it goes.’’

Shumpert returned to New York after an MRI exam Thursday revealed his MCL was not torn. The Knicks had feared the worst after Shumpert’s knee buckled in New Orleans on a pull-up drive. “We thought it was going to be longer than that,’’ Woodson said. “It’s a positive.’’


Point guard Beno Udrih hasn’t ruled out a buyout and will “play it by ear.’’ Woodson said with Shumpert’s injury, Udrih may play again, but he did not play Friday, sitting for the 14th time in 15 games.

“I stopped counting,’’ said Udrih, who took less money to sign with the Knicks, inking for the veteran’s minimum of $1.4 million.

A trade with the Nuggets at Thursday’s deadline broke down, and Udrih is assessing the situation.

“I’m a Knick right now and I have to see what my options are,’’ he said. “I don’t know what the changes are going to be with Shump out a couple of weeks. That’s up to my agent to figure it out. I haven’t discussed it with him yet. I don’t know what their plan is.’’

Udrih, who wants to coach someday in either the NBA or Europe, was asked what he thinks of the Knicks’ coaching this season.

“No comment,’’ he said.


Woodson gave Metta World Peace 7:14 of rotation minutes, saying he’ll also get some time with Shumpert out. World Peace didn’t look good, going 0 for 2 and committing a turnover.