From Players View:
Carmelo Anthony limping off the court and into the locker room was not a sight that any New York Knicks fan wanted to see. On Tuesday, coach Mike Woodson stated that he regrets how he played a hand in setting up that very image.
Woodson told ESPN Radio that Anthony came to him during Monday’s victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers and asked to come out.
“Melo was hurt,” Woodson said. “For him to ask me to come out of the game before he actually took that spill made me realize that something wasn’t right. He’s never ever, ever, even hinted about coming out of the game [before Monday]. I play him too much in that regard. Melo’s a trooper — he’s a warrior, he’s a tough kid.”
“I should have [taken him out],” Woodson said. “Stubborn coach — I just didn’t.”
“Maybe I should have taken him out before he actually stumbled and took the fall,” Woodson said. “But again, I’m thinking [during] the game, ‘Hey, he’ll play through it. He’ll figure it out.’
“But he was hurt. He walked out after he took the spill and he didn’t come back, and that’s not Melo-like. Obviously, his knee is bothering him.”
It’s cool that Woodson can admit all of this after-the-fact.
His next move should be working out various rotations that do not place Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire on the court at the same time.
Both players excel when they are not forced to play together.
Just saying.
Original Story:
|
March 07, 2013
