HARLEM, N.Y. – The New York Knicks, losers of five straight — three of which have been at home, may have hit rock bottom in what has been a tumultuous 2013-14 NBA campaign.
Mired in mediocrity and hampered by injuries, the latest fallout came in the form of the latter with forward Andrea Bargnani being sidelined indefinitely after suffering a torn ligament in his elbow in the Knicks 110-106 home loss to the Philadelphia 76ers Wednesday.
The 7-footer’s injury only adds to the insults that have been swirling around Madison Square Garden amidst their current skid. Center Tyson Chandler and guard J.R. Smith have had open quarrels with head coach Mike Woodson, with Chandler questioning the defensive schemes in their 23-point blowout loss to the Brooklyn Nets and Smith being benched numerous times for conduct that’s been detrimental to the team.
Whispers of the Knicks front office trading star player Carmelo Anthony have seeped in as they fear he may not re-sign with New York if their downward spiral continues. Questions have arose about the team’s lack of leadership and effort, a team where the average age is nearly 32.
Forward Kenyon Martin, who’s out two weeks with tendonitis in his left ankle, believes his return to the Knicks lineup coupled with a weak Eastern Conference will get them out of their most recent rut.
“A lot of people think [the losing has been tied to his absence], but it’s a team sport. Other guys will be in and out of lineup. We always say it’s about playing well when other guys are out, but it’s a rough stretch right now,” Martin told PPI at Atmos in Harlem on Thursday.
Martin missed the previous four games with the aforementioned ankle injury, where the questions of effort and leadership picked up steam again. So much of the 36-year-old forward’s game is predicated off of rebounding and defense — two areas where effort beats skill.
“I’m the leader of this team,” Martin said. “Melo is the franchise player, but I see myself as the leader always.”
And as the leader Martin was demonstrative in his stance that Anthony would not be traded while turning the finger back at teammates for their bad play as of late. Others have questioned Woodson but Martin maintains a strong relationship with his coach and staff and thinks it’s on the players to better execute.
“It’s not the coaching staff. The coaches don’t play in the games. They have us prepared everyday. We just haven’t done it right as a team. The guys understand what we need to do. We just got to go out there and do it.”
Their current five-game losing streak puts the Knicks at 15-27 — good for third in the Atlantic Division and 11th in the Eastern Conference. Yet due to a weak East, the Knicks stand 3.5 games out of the playoffs and 6.5 games out of the division with 39 games left in the year. Martin thinks the Knicks can turn it around in time for a playoff run.
“Definitely. There’s no doubt in my mind.” he said. “There’s nothing we can talk about anymore. We just have to do it.”
If this really is rock bottom, there’s no where to go but up.
