Anthony’s influence on Porzingis has been detrimental and a key reason why Jackson became adamant about removing him from the roster any way he could.
“Phil thought Carmelo was trying to sabotage him,’’ an NBA source said.
Anthony, who is the only Knick that has been a part of the four straight teams that have missed the playoffs, was considered disruptive in the locker room. On March 1, when the Knicks were last in Orlando finishing out the string against the Magic, Porzingis voiced his support of Jackson’s triangle offense.
According to an NBA source, Anthony was furious to read Porzingis’ positive sentiments on an offense he disdains.
"We’re starting to learn it now the way we should and we should have been playing from the beginning of the season,” Porzingis said then. “So we’re a little behind. Hopefully, I don’t know when, we can start using it properly and making some impact playing it. I like the triangle. My whole first season, we played nothing but the triangle so I know it pretty well."
“Melo really chewed him out, lit into him,’’ the source said.
There were few positive comments regarding the triangle afterward from Porzingis, who proceeded to blow off his exit meeting in protest of the chaotic state of the Jackson-run franchise. Jackson admitted at his mid-April press conference the triangle was “met by resistance from the top’’ and “rebelliousness.’’
Not sure how true this is but I definitely suspected someone was in Porzingis ear for him to skip the exit meeting, sounds like how Melo would operate in light of Jacksons behavior towards him this year.
Illustrates further why Melo needs to go, but since we are rebuilding let him get taste of what that feels like next year when he's 34 years old wasting away his good remaining years on a lottery team that isn't giving him adequate minutes...
I think he'll be much more amenable to a trade around the deadline next year.
