Knicks Rumors: D'Antoni Stupid to Comment Against Carmelo Backing Jeremy Lin

Not only did the New York Knicks drop their first game with Carmelo Anthony and Jeremy Lin in the same lineup, but coach Mike D'Antoni stupidly denied that Melo was the one who "vouched" for Lin in the first place.

Marc Berman of the New York Post quotes the coach as saying, “I don’t remember the conversation,’’ D’Antoni said. “Maybe he did. I don’t remember.’’

There honestly couldn't have been a dumber answer from the Knicks' boss. New York, losers in two of their last three games against a pair of lowly teams, don't need any more negativity surround the Melo-Lin relationship.

While both players have said and done all the right things, it is simply undeniable that the Knicks are very much a different team with Lin on the court.

Nearly everyone who has seen them play this year has an opinion on whether or not the two players will mesh together and, unfortunately, last night wasn't a good start.

The Knicks lost by eight at home to the Nets, and Melo scored only 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting. He added six assists, but also had six turnovers and only three rebounds. Lin, as it seems he always does, filled up the stat sheet with 21 points, nine assists, seven rebounds, four steals and only three turnovers before fouling out for the first time in his Linsane run.

Whether or not Carmelo and Lin can coexist remains to be seen. They'll take the court again twice more before the All-Star break, and things will only intensify from then on if the Knicks don't win.

D'Antoni has foolishly given the media something else to harp on when he could simply have let things go on the way they were. This basketball team has been in the midst of a media storm for two straight weeks and while they'll only have to endure it for a few more days before the break, negative press on Melo and Lin was the last thing they needed.