Embarrassing New York Knicks' Effort Should Raise Concerns

When the game was over, both coaches had different expressions.

Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni left the court as a beaten man.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson was smug.

He was admiring his genius after watching his team celebrate a 113-96 victory against the Knicks last night at Madison Square Garden.

Jackson can act like that.

He wins championships, and he could win another one this year.

For all the talk about the Lakers being on the decline, they haven't played like it on their East Coast trip.

They could have mailed it in after beating the Celtics Thursday night, but instead, they played with a sense of purpose against the Knicks.

Kobe Bryant always wants to play well at Madison Square Garden, and he did it again by scoring 19 of his 33 points in the first quarter to set the tone. They wanted to make sure the Hall of Fame coach finished his last likely Garden visit with a victory.

D'Antoni has every reason to be concerned. The team looks like they want to get away from basketball altogether.

The Knicks coach had to be surprised about his team's play against the Lakers.

They did not compete, and they did not defend.

They quit with five minutes remaining in the third quarter.

This is disturbing. When the Lakers come to town, they expect a great game by the other team. It's one thing to lose, but it's another thing to just roll over.

From watching this game, the Knicks are in a crisis.

The role players are not making their shots.

Raymond Felton has done nothing since January.

Amar'e Stoudemire looks tired after playing 40 minutes a night during the season.

D'Antoni felt compelled to say that his team is being affected by the Carmelo Anthony rumors. Talk about a load of crock, but that's what losers do. They make excuses when things to bad.

Players are supposed to be professionals.

This league is about guys manning up. This is not high school or college.

If players are worried about their future, then it shows they are selfish. They should worry about the task at hand. After all, they are being paid to do that.

Plus, it's D'Antoni's job to put the players in a proper frame of mind. He is being paid millions to take care of this situation. Blaming the fans does not do him any good. It illustrates he is out of touch with the public.

If the well-paid Knicks coach can't handle this crisis, how is he going to handle a losing streak?

The Knicks have now lost 11 of 15, and they are 26-26 for the season. There is no guarantee they can beat the Nets in Newark tonight.

They can't beat anyone period.

That's what happens when a team never plays defense.

That's what happens when a team has a flawed offensive philosophy, which features shooting threes. It's good to shoot three-pointers if they go in, but if they do not go in, it's tough to watch.

It worked early in the season, but in the long run, it caught up to them.

In the NBA, teams win games by playing good defense and scoring from the paint. D'Antoni's system is not based on that. It worked with the Suns because of Steve Nash. That's not the case here with the Knicks, and it is showing.

It's hard to believe it's going to get better. This team is done. Even Carmelo Anthony's arrival wouldn't save the team. As long as D'Antoni is around, it will be more the same. There will be more no-shows like that.

There is no optimism. How can it be? This team peaked early on, and now, they look like the team people expected to be, which is a medicore team at best.  It's hard to believe this team is a playoff team right now, especially with D'Antoni being around.

The Knicks coach has to be worrying about his job.

If the team misses the playoffs, he will be gone. Someone is going to be held accountable if the team falters down the stretch, and the coach is the first to blame.

In fact, he could lose his job in a few weeks.

There's no way management is going to let this continue. The Knicks haven't made the playoffs for the last six years, and they will see to it that it won't be extended to seven years.

The team will try to shake things up with a new coach. It will likely be someone from D'Antoni's coaching staff, but for them, anything is better than the man himself.

Tonight's game against the Nets is a must-win.

It's crazy to label it, but it is what it is. The Knicks have to show there is some pulse on that team after last night's poor performance.

They need to finish the pre-All-Star break strong with a week to go. A strong winning streak can allay any concerns.

Last night should serve as a wake-up call.