With the New York Knicks headed to the NBA draft lottery, is superstar Carmelo Anthony headed to the bench? Anthony, who's nursing a bad knee, didn't rule out missing a large chunk of games to give his injury time to heal. If one were to listen to Dennis Rodman, meanwhile, then first-year coach Derek Fisher could be headed for the hot seat.
New York boasts a 4-19 record, and with little chance of turning things around, Anthony didn't rule out sitting for an extended amount of time to let his sore right knee rest.
"At this point, it's evaluating and seeing," Anthony said, via the New York Post. "Some days are better than others. It's a matter if I want to continue to play on it and the pain threshold. The flip side to that is we are losing games. I hate it, I hate to sit on the sidelines and watch my teammates.
"At this point, sitting down with trainers and coaches and seeing what's best for everybody. If it's best for me to sit out, take some time to get it right, then that's a decision we'll have to make. But they'll have to pull me out. It don't get better, it don't get worse. I'll see. I don't have that answer now. I'll see how it feels [Wednesday]."
ESPN's Nick Borges suggested it could be time to shut down Anthony, just to make sure the injury doesn't become a long-term issue since the season seems lost anyways.
Fisher, meanwhile, received a dose of criticism from Rodman.
"Really, is (Fisher) coaching? Is Derek Fisher coaching? I don't get it. I don't know what's up with that team, man," Rodman said, via ESPN. "They're not running the triangle. Derek Fisher's not really coaching. I know Phil is trying to throw his input in the background, but who expected this (kind of losing season) from Phil?"
While Rodman is known for his brazen opinions, his comments about Fisher could hold some truth. Jackson knows Fisher is working with a depleted roster, that he's a first-year coach and that the triangle offense takes time for players to learn. But if Jackson begins to share Rodman's opinion about Fisher's lack of coaching ability, Fisher could be headed for the hot seat in an attempt by Jackson to get the ship upright.
