ORLANDO, Fla. -- Insisting that the lineup is not the problem, but rather it’s the effort, New York Knicks head coach Mike Woodson is going big again, hoping to get better results.
Woodson said at the shootaround leading up to Monday night’s game against the Orlando Magic that he will again start Tyson Chandler, Andrea Bargnani and Carmelo Anthony in the frontcourt. The trio were significantly outrebounded in Saturday night’s loss to Memphis.
“There is no excuse for not rebounding the basketball,” Woodson said. “That takes effort and just mixing it up a little bit. So I’m going to try it again tonight and I expect them to rebound the basketball. You can’t have two 7-footers and a 6-7 guy not coming up with rebounds. That’s a problem. We’ll see how it turns out tonight.”
In Saturday's 97-85 loss, the Knicks were outrebounded 43-23. The Grizzlies scored many of their points on second shots. In that game, Chandler had six boards, Bargnani two and Anthony six.
Like other lineups they’ve used, nothing seems to mesh for the Knicks.
They are now 1-4 when starting Chandler, Bargnani and Anthony together on the front line. Other lineups have produced only a 7-14 record.
Anthony admitted that all the lineup changes, and the uncertainty that often accompanies that, might be an issue, leading to some inconsistent play.
“Maybe as a team, collectively, it might be hard to deal with,” he said. “For myself, whoever is out there we’ve got to be ready for that moment. But maybe as a group, it can be tough for others who are not use to those situations, who are used to a little bit more consistency. As far as I go, we should be ready to go out there and just play. A lot of times we’re thinking about too much other stuff. With us right now, a lot of has to do with our mental status.”
Woodson also said Raymond Felton’s status will be a game-time decision. The point guard has been out since December 11 with a left hamstring strain.