New York Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni "doesn't have the respect" of the team any longer, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com. The reeling Knicks have lost six straight and there appears to discord between D'Antoni and star forward Carmelo Anthony.
"The players like Mike as a person," one source said. "They think he's a good guy. But he doesn't have the respect of the team anymore."
The biggest problem according to most people is the mixing of Anthony and D'Antoni. While D'Antoni's system is purely based on spacing and ball movement, Anthony frequently stops the ball and tries to isolate.
The Knicks have been in a tailspin since Anthony returned just a few weeks ago against the New Jersey Nets. Whether or not it's fair to blame Anthony is up for debate, but there's no disputing the fact that New York is 2-8 since he came back.
It's a crisis for the Knicks right now, and something that appears it may only get worse before it gets better. Right now, the team seems more divided than ever.
"Half the team is trying to do what coach says and the other half is doing something different," one source said. "Then it spills over to the defensive end because players are (ticked) off about somebody taking a bad shot."
Only time will tell, but it appears D'Antoni doesn't have much of that.
For more on the Knicks, be sure to check out our blog Posting and Toasting along with SB Nation New York.