INDIANAPOLIS — The Knicks have dropped to 13th place in the Eastern Conference standings and Carmelo Anthony’s mood is dropping fast.
So fast, he admitted in a candid meeting with reporters Wednesday he would like a powwow at some point with Knicks president Phil Jackson to discuss the Zen Master’s long-term plans.
Anthony said he and Jackson have not conversed since the Knicks were dormant at last week’s trade deadline. Anthony indicated Jackson infrequently talks with players, now that the $60 million team president is far removed from the sidelines he roamed for the Bulls and Lakers.
“We’ve been back a week or so [from the break],’’ Anthony said before the Knicks’ 108-105 loss to the Pacers at Bankers Life FieldHouse. “He hasn’t sat down with the team or addressed anything.
“I’ll have my opportunity to talk to him. That’s not the way to go at this point. It’s about winning games at this point. I’ll have my opportunity to talk to Phil about that.’’
Anthony could be referring just to his traditional season-ending exit meeting in mid-April with Jackson.
Last week, Anthony acknowledged he had a brief conversation after the deadline with GM Steve Mills, with whom he’s much closer. Anthony admitted his relationship with Jackson isn’t close, and that stands for all the players.
“I don’t think it’s to the point when he was coaching and had that player-coach relationship,’’ Anthony said. “He’s doing front-office work now. It’s not the same relationship. Phil’s not coming down [to coach]. He’s not sitting down on the sidelines. Those days are long gone.’’
Anthony appeared furious Monday night after a bitter blowout loss to the Raptors. He couldn’t get out of the locker room fast enough — already dressed and with his coat and hat on when reporters were let in, as opposed to the frequent 45-minute wait for Anthony to emerge. Anthony appeared to make ominous remarks about his teammates’ commitment.
On Wednesday, Anthony explained he simply wanted to be with his family — not his teammates — at that time to reflect on another season going down the drain. The Knicks are 6½ games out of the eighth seed.
“I got a chance to relax a bit, decompress, get away from it for a couple of days,’’ Anthony said. “It was just a bad night. Sometimes it hits you and you just don’t know how to react to it. The best thing to do is get yourself away from it a little. Step out of it, relax, decompress and remove yourself, look at it from the outside looking in sometimes. That’s all that case was.
“Sometimes you have to have some me time,’’ Anthony added. “That night it was for me to go home and be with my family and get away from it.’’
Anthony is on the verge of missing the playoffs for the third straight season — an event that, he has said, “won’t sit well with me.’’ There’s speculation that if the Knicks aren’t winners in free agency in July, he could talk to management about seeking a deal, hence, agreeing to waive his no-trade clause.
“Part of it is you try to remain so positive through the whole situation — some days it just hits you,’’ Anthony said. “It challenges you as a person and as a player and competitor.’’
Anthony said he was better at Tuesday’s practice — “I didn’t let it linger” — but refused to talk to reporters then, saying, “I’m off today.’’
Anthony still is bewildered by the Knicks’ lack of defensive grit since the break. He was gung-ho at first, feeling the passing of the trade deadline would connect the club instead of plunging them further into the abyss.
“You would think the opposite of that,’’ Anthony said. “They hear their names in trades, nothing happens, and it’s a release. You’d feel guys feel would be more comfortable [knowing] they’d be here the rest of the season and we’d go out there with different energy and sense of energy. Not the case right now.’’
Anthony seemed to be questioning his teammates’ desire Monday. He said it wasn’t that.
“I wasn’t going to that place,’’ Anthony said. “What I was saying is we have to want to make the playoffs and want to win basketball games. We can’t come in second-guessing yourself as a team. It wasn’t me pointing any one individual as a team. We have to make this push together. That’s what I was saying.’’