So far the New York Knicks' plans for championship are working out as well as Brooklyn's plans. The team recorded their fifth-straight loss at home after getting beat by the Atlanta Hawks. The home crowd certainly let the team know how they felt about the overall lack of effort being displayed by the Knicks and now star Carmelo Anthony is speaking out about his displeasure.
"We ain't playing worth a s--- right now," Anthony said, via the New York Post. "We got to play harder. I am disappointed too in all of our effort. We are just not getting it done. It ain't nothing that Coach [Mike] Woodson is doing [or not doing]. It ain't got nothing to do with X's and O's out there on the basketball court. We are not getting it done from an effort standpoint. It's like we are not even trying right now."
Anthony had to backup head coach Woodson after chanting was heard at Madison Square Garden requesting the coach get fired. "Fire Woodson" chants starting pouring down in the third quarter of the loss to the Hawks. The team allowed a 14-2 run by Atlanta, ending any chance of winning the game. The fans might be blaming Woodson, but the loss falls on everyone.
JR Smith went just 3 for 18, missing 8 of 9 3-point shots. His struggles continue since returning from injury and suspension. The Knicks' defense was not any better as they allowed the Hawks to shoot 56.4 percent from the field.
"You just got to do more I guess," Anthony said. "Just try to go out there and get it done as a team. I am not going to do it by myself. I don't want to do it by myself. We got to do it as a team. We keep digging ourselves deeper and deeper. It's frustrating. Messed up feeling. Nasty feeling. I really am kind of at a loss for words right now."
Woodson is trying to figure out how to switch things up to hopefully get some momentum going for New York. After toying with Smith in the starting lineup for the team, the coach is considering sending him back to the bench and letting him regain his Sixth Man status.
Woodson told reporters after the game that he is going to shake things up and shuffle the lineup around until he finds the right combination of players on the court. Smith's start to the season has been terrible. He is making just 12 for 53 total field goal attempts while shooting just 26 percent from the 3-point line. As a starter, Smith is averaging just 9.8 points per game, a far cry from what he did last season.
"Excuse my language but I was playing like s---," Smith said. "I played terrible. I've been playing terrible since I got back and I wasn't happy about it."
