Knicks Rumors: Why New York Knicks Players Are Right to Tune out Mike D'Antoni

As the New York Knicks continue their downward spiral, head coach Mike D'Antoni's tenure with the team has become a ticking time bomb that could go off at any time.  After seemingly resurrecting the embattled squad last year with a trip to the playoffs, the offensive guru is right back where he started in that he has a team that underachieves and just refuses to adapt.

Sure enough, according to a report by ESPN's Chris Broussard, the guilty party appears to be none other than forward Carmelo Anthony, who flat out seems to be disregarding his coach's instructions as to how to involve himself in the offense.  As a result, team morale has suffered and, according to Broussard, players have lost respect for D'Antoni and are tuning him out.

To be honest, I have one thing to say to the Knicks' roster in this regard: Keep at it!  Seriously, folks.  D'Antoni has mishandled Anthony's return from a groin injury so horribly that if I were playing for him, I'd tune him out, too.

Let me put it this way.  On a high school team, or even in college, players are held much more accountable for their actions, and if they screw up—be it away from the court or if they disregard their coach's instructions—they are benched in the blink of an eye.

That being said, why didn't D'Antoni do the same thing to Anthony?  The All-Star forward has refused to accept his role in D'Antoni's offense, staying on the wing behind the three-point line, and it is literally killing the team.

Simply put, the moment Anthony came back from his groin injury, when the Knicks were on their Linsanity tour, D'Antoni should have had a talk with him and discussed just what his role would be.  The moment Anthony started being a ball hog again, D'Antoni should have taken a stand and benched him.  That way, he would have sent a message to the players that stated, "I'm here to win.  Anyone who isn't can take a seat and watch."

Yet, D'Antoni has already sent a message to his frustrated roster: Sticking to the system is important, but superstars get special treatment.

Well, since it's clear D'Antoni's going to be a timid little mouse about handling this, there's only one thing left to do.  Who's got Phil Jackson's phone number?