Losing causes friction in the locker room. Nine losses is a row is almost enough friction to start a fire.
For the second time in a day some of that friction around the New York Knicks bubbled to the surface — Metta World Peace and Kenyon Martin got in a heated argument Sunday during a workout before the Knicks game, reports Ian Begley at ESPNNewYork.com.The two veteran forwards did not come to blows, but the back and forth was described as “intense” by one source with knowledge of the dust-up.
World Peace and Martin smoothed things over prior to the Knicks’ 103-99 loss to the Pelicans on Sunday night, sources with knowledge of the situation said.
We don’t have any idea what this one was about, but two veteran players like this should be able to move on.
We already told you that Iman Shumpert vented at Carmelo Anthony after a “miscommunication” on a defensive play. While caught on camera nobody is talking about that one, but Shumpert was already on the trade block so this could well just be a step toward the door for him.
All this really shows is that things are tense in New York, which we knew. There also is no great hope in sight — they need to get J.R. Smith right and Tyson Chandler back healthy. Do that, take some pressure off Carmelo Anthony and things can start to swing the other direction.
But in the short term, coach Mike Woodson has to be concerned he doesn’t become the scapegoat to relieve the pressure.