:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/24429171/173359701.0.jpg)
G'afternoon! The Knicks just got done with practice, and they gave some grade-A losing team quotes during media availability. Here we go:
PASTA BATTLE!!!
Metta World Peace, on @IanBegley's report of a kerfuffle between himself and Kenyon Martin: "We had an argument about pasta."
— Scott Cacciola (@ScottCacciola) December 3, 2013
Metta said the reported argument between he and Kenyon was over pasta. He said Kenyon likes shell pasta and he likes elbow pasta.
— Al Iannazzone (@Al_Iannazzone) December 3, 2013
Okay, some things:
1. It's funny that people even bother asking Metta World Peace questions looking for straight answers at this point.
3. While we're at it, elbows vs. shells is a toss-up for me. My main thing is I like my pasta short and uniform. Short because I'm too uncoordinated to properly twirl long pasta and uniform because fancy shit like bowties cooks unevenly. Maybe if we and the Knicks all just say our pasta preferences, all this acrimony and losing will go away?
4. Also this.
Moving on.
UPDATE: The full quote reveals Metta actually prefers shells. Terrible reporting, guys. SMH SMH SMH SMH
PABLO!
Kenyon Martin and J.R. Smith had rest days at practice today. That put Pablo Prigioni in with the first unit:
With Kenyon taking a recovery day, worth noting that Pablo Prigioni is working with the starters. Joining Felton in the backcourt.
— Alan Hahn (@alanhahn) December 3, 2013
KENYON CURSIN'
'It's all bullshit.' Kenyon martin on reports of conflict #knicks
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) December 3, 2013
K-Mart: "It's about us going out & playing the way we capable of playing. It's about us caring & giving a fuck, man." #Knicks
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) December 3, 2013
MIKE WOODSON HAS NOT BEEN FIRED YET
Mike Woodson coached practice today, by the way. The Knicks acknowledged the swirlin' rumors:
Melo on if he's concerned about Woody's job: "We’re worried about that. But then again, we’ve got to worry about playing basketball, man."
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) December 3, 2013
Metta said there is no pressure on Woodson
— Al Iannazzone (@Al_Iannazzone) December 3, 2013
Kenyon Martin strongly stated that the players are at fault for the #Knicks' 3-13 record, not Mike Woodson.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) December 3, 2013
Melo on Woodson job speculation: "Welcome to New York."
— Steve Popper (@StevePopper) December 3, 2013
Woodson himself had this to say about Shump's fourth-quarter benching on Sunday:
Woodson said the Shumpert-Melo sideline tiff "had nothing to do" with Shumpert not playing in the fourth quarter on Sunday. #Knicks
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) December 3, 2013
That's pretty much it from practice. Even though the Knicks are home now, I've seen no updates about Tyson Chandler's timetable or any progress of any kind.
I leave you with this very Knicks-y bit of intel from Ian Begley:
According to league sources with knowledge of the team's talks with potential trade partners, president/GM Steve Mills' management team has also cited Mike Woodson's coaching as one reason for Shumpert's poor play.
"They're saying that Shumpert's a better player [than he's shown] but Woodson isn't using him right," one league source said.
Whoever said that could be misrepresenting things or speaking out of agenda, but man, does that sound exceptionally stupid.
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee