PORTLAND, Ore. _ Coach Jeff Hornacek said the Knicks will be all-in on the triangle from the start of training camp next season and that essentially players have to buy in or it will be bye-bye.
Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose, who haven't embraced the system, didn't sound ready to fully commit to it next year.
"It's March; I don't want to talk about that," Anthony said Thursday before the Knicks played the Trail Blazers. "I don't want to talk about next training camp, kind of what's going to happen next year. That's hard for me personally to think about that. We still have these games to deal with. It's hard to look forward to next season."
The Knicks are close to being eliminated from the playoffs for the fourth straight year. They went into Thursday night's matchup with the Blazers eight games out of the East's last spot with 11 games to play.
Hornacek hopes with the right mix of players, and staying with one system the whole season, the Knicks can end that streak next season.
The Knicks ran what Hornacek called "triangle aspects" early, then went away from it, and have re-emphasized the triangle since returning from the All-Star break. Hornacek said not sticking to one system from the beginning hurt the Knicks. Anthony agreed.
"It could have," he said. "Early in the season when we were winning games and went on that little winning streak we were playing a certain way. Then we went away from that and started playing another way. Everybody was trying to figure out should we go back to playing the way we were playing or try to do something different?
"Earlier we were playing faster, more free flow throughout the course of the game. Then we kind of slowed down, started settling it down, not as fast, the pace slowed down for us as a team. It was something we had to make an adjustment on the fly in limited practice time. Once you get into the season it's hard to kind of readjust a whole system."
Anthony doesn't like to say the word triangle. Rose has called it "random basketball" and complained about having to stand in the corner. Rose will be a free agent this summer. He wouldn't rule out a return, but he said he's leaving all options open.
"This would be the first time I'd be a free agent," Rose said. "I don't know how that process goes in the offseason. Me and my agent, my brothers, my family, we'll have to talk about it.
"Of course I want to be here, just being in this environment, playing in New York, being at the Garden every other night, it's a blessing. But once again I really have to talk it over with my agent and my brothers."
Hornacek said that a core of Anthony, Rose and Kristaps Porzingis wouldn't be a playoff team unless everyone bought into the system and played together. Anthony and Rose both excel in isolation or pick-and-rolls.
Earlier in the season, Hornacek tried to play to their strengths. But his comments Wednesday signaled the first time Hornacek raised the possibility that one or more of the Knicks' three best players wouldn't be back.
Anthony could waive his no-trade clause for a winning situation. Rose, who also missed out on the playoffs with the Bulls last year, said he's putting winning above money. But he wouldn't dismiss the possibility staying even if he's playing in the triangle.
"I'm just confident with any offense," Rose said. "I think I'll be able to excel. Just learn the system. With an offense like this everyone has to be on the same page.
"I'm not even thinking about the money. I've got enough money saved. If I was to stop playing basketball now I'd be all right. I want to win and I want to be happy and feel at peace with myself wherever I'm at ... I'm not going into negotiating with people and asking money as the number one thing I'm asking for. I want to win."
