The New York Knicks used the offseason to build a better and stronger roster by getting teammates Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose from the Chicago Bulls to join star player Carmelo Anthony. However, it seems these players are not happy with what team president Phil Jackson wants to do with the Knicks' offense.
In June, the Knicks made a surprising move by engaging in a trade deal with the Bulls for Rose. In exchange, the New York franchise traded Jose Calderon, Robin Lopez and Jerian Grant to the Bulls. Aside from Rose, the Knicks were also able to secure Justin Holiday as well as a 2017 second round draft pick from Chicago.
Then, a month later, Noah, who was a free agent back then, decided to sign with the Knicks to join Rose. He agreed to a four-year contract worth $72 million to play for New York.
With Rose and Noah on the roster, Jackson was hoping that these two would help out long-time veteran Anthony on the court. Specifically, he reportedly wants these three to stick to a triangle offense.
However, as noted by sources, Rose, Noah and Anthony are not too happy with this type of strategy since it doesn't suit their type of play.
"According to sources, some Knicks players have expressed their displeasure over the offense because they feel it doesn't suit their personnel, particularly point guard Derrick Rose, who has traditionally thrived when using pick-and-rolls," Ian Begley of ESPN noted.
Head coach Jeff Hornacek, on the other hand, still chooses to respect the other players' styles and is currently sticking to a fast-paced type of offense. He also knows that Rose is good with pick-and-rolls and still allows him to follow this route.
However, due to Jackson's insistence of the triangle offense, it seems confusion and division are starting to plague the Knicks locker room. As seen in their previous games, this style is not working for them since they're currently looking at four losses and only three wins.
Even worse, if the Knicks continue going down this path, a rift between the front office and the locker room could begin to emerge, just like what happened between Noah and the Bulls.
