Carmelo Anthony said it is time for him and Amar’e Stoudemire to have a heart-to-heart.
The superstar tandem have been a staggering wreck. If not fixed soon, the Knicks’ season — and coach Mike D’Antoni’s job — will be on the line.
“We as a team need to do a better job getting Amar’e the ball,’’ Anthony admitted. “I have the ball in my hands. Maybe it’s on me. Maybe I have to give him the ball a little more, help him out with that. We’ll talk probably [today] and try to figure it out together. If I’m doing too much, I want him to tell me. I want the guys on the team to tell me if I’m doing too much.’’
Anthony was booed after the Knicks’ sixth straight loss Saturday night, a double-overtime defeat to the Nuggets, his former team. Though Anthony said he isn’t bothered by the boos, he appeared humbled. The Knicks (6-10) start a four-game road trip starting tomorrow in Charlotte, and are hoping to get point guard Baron Davis back Saturday in Houston.
While Anthony may be shooting too much, Stoudemire appears to have been frozen out. On Saturday, Stoudemire barely touched the ball, let alone took a shot, throughout in the second half and two overtimes.
Stoudemire’s meaningless 3-pointer with 7.6 seconds left in the second OT was his first shot attempt since late in the third quarter.
According to a source familiar with the situation, Anthony has been too obsessed with his points and Stoudemire is too concerned with Anthony taking over the team. There’s also too much finger-pointing, according to the source.
Stoudemire and Anthony are co-captains and their impending meeting is more important than anything D’Antoni can say.
Stoudemire’s scoring average has dropped to just 17.6 points on 41.3 percent shooting. Last season, Stoudemire averaged 25.3 points on 50.2 percent shooting and was an MVP candidate before the February trade for Anthony.
Anthony said “maybe’’ he has to take fewer shots and said he’d sit with the training staff today and decide if he should take one game off to rest his sprained wrist and ankle. It seems unlikely for him to miss games this week with the team in crisis.
“Maybe I should take the blame for the games we’re losing,’’ Anthony said. “Coach does run the offense through me. I’ll take the blame. It’s obvious I’m beat up. I don’t want to use that as any excuse. Maybe it’s time to revaluate everything, reevaluate my body, sit with the trainers, see what’s going on.’’
With reserve center Josh Harrellson sidelined for six weeks with a broken wrist, it’s not the time for Anthony to sit, but rather to play better and make his teammates and Stoudemire better.
In his reflective ramble by his locker late Saturday, Anthony added: “Maybe I need not to take so many shots. That’s just a bunch of thoughts that go through my mind. Coming down, taking less shots. Figuring out ways to make other guys better. Should I pass it more?’’
Anthony’s injuries are well-documented. Eleven days ago, he sprained his wrist and ankle in Memphis. Stoudemire has no defined injury and D’Antoni believes he may be fatigued from the lockout schedule. Stoudemire has little of the pop from last season that sparked fans to chant “MVP.’’
Stoudemire’s digs at Anthony are subtle. Thursday, he said the club needs to move the ball and buy into D’Antoni’s selfless system. After the Denver loss, Stoudemire went out of his way to salute the key piece in the deal, ex-Knick Danilo Gallinari, who posted a career-high 37 points.
Stoudemire said Gallinari’s performance did not surprise him because he was “insane’’ as a Knick and lavished praise on Denver. “They’re playing great team basketball,’’ Stoudemire said. “It’s hard to guard those guys when they move the ball like they do.’’
Injuries and selfishness are ruining Anthony’s first full season as a Knick. Over his last seven games, he is shooting 56 of 158 (35 percent), and is at 40.4 percent on the season.