The New York Knicks have lost nine of their last 10 games, and the team's terrible start to the season is wearing on the players.
J.R. Smith recently admitted that it's "really embarrassing." In regard to the team not playing hard enough, Smith said, "We're professionals. It's not high school. This isn't college. When you're given an assignment, they expect you to execute the assignment. When you don't, stuff like this happens."
Will Calderon's Return Fix The Triangle?
Following Tuesday's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, Smith simply said, "It's not fun anymore."
The team ranks in the bottom half of the league in points per game, points allowed per game, and rebounds per game, and are generally being outplayed in all areas by their opponents.
To make matters worse, now Carmelo Anthony is dealing with a knee injury.
Media reports have surfaced that Carmelo Anthony aggravated his sore left knee in the Milwaukee game. He said he hurt it while scrambling for a loose ball. Anthony briefly left the floor to have his knee re-taped, but he returned to the game. The knee has bothered Anthony since New York beat Cleveland on October 30, which was one of the few highlights in a dismal season.
The team has predictably struggled so far with the triangle offense, which the team decided to run after hiring Phil Jackson to run the basketball operations and installing Derek Fisher as the head coach.
It often takes an entire season or more for players to become comfortable in the triangle, which is arguably the most complex offense a basketball team can run.
Their defense has been equally poor, and that does not have any similar adjustment-related excuse. Unlike offense, which often requires players to understand nuanced schemes, NBA defense is - and always has been - primarily about effort, and the Knicks are sorely lacking in that department. According to media reports, the poor play and the resultant losses are taking their toll on the players.
See the reaction to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver joking about New York's struggles below.
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