NEW ORLEANS _ Players said goodbye to each other late Wednesday night, hugged training staff members and went off on their break unsure if they would still be Knicks when the schedule resumes next Thursday.
The way the first 57 games of the season went and with the trade deadline less than a week away, anything is possible over the All-Star break.
A quick recap: The Knicks started 14-10 and went 9-24 after that. Derrick Rose left the team without permission on a game day to return to Chicago for "a family issue." Carmelo Anthony has been on the trading block and had some arrows slung at him by Phil Jackson in the media, on Twitter and through some writers who are close to the Knicks president.
Joakim Noah, who signed a four-year, $72 million free-agent deal, has been an oft-injured disappointment. Kristaps Porzingis, who's been slowed by an Achilles injury and stomach bug, seems to be regressing. Coach Jeff Hornacek has made questionable decisions with the starting lineup, rotations and play-calling.
The defense has been poor except for Sunday against the Spurs. It disappeared in Wednesday's 116-105 loss to the Thunder. At the break, the Knicks (23-34) are in 12th place in the East, four games in back of the eighth and final seed.
"It has been a tough season so far for us," Porzingis said. "But we're trying to stay together, keep fighting and just trying to do the right thing, give the fans watchable games and enjoy the game ourselves."
The ugly incident involving Charles Oakley has just added to the craziness of this season.
All of that has forced Jackson and general manager Steve Mills to see if they can make changes and shake up the roster again.
In addition to Anthony, who has a no-trade clause and said Wednesday "I never thought I'd be anywhere else," Rose, Brandon Jennings and Kyle O'Quinn are among the candidates to be moved.
"Whatever happens, happens," said Jennings, who didn't play Wednesday because of an Achilles injury. "If I'm not here, I'm not here. That's my attitude."
Porzingis is safe, but his performance lately has been a cause for concern.
He made only one shot in the last three quarters Wednesday _ it came with 43 seconds left.
Porzingis, who will be participating in the Rising Stars Challenge Friday night with Willy Hernangomez, believes the stomach bug that kept him out of a game more than two weeks ago hasn't left him yet. He said he vomited a couple of times during the game.
The illness affected him, but Porzingis' play has dropped off dramatically over the last two months. It might give management some pause to move Anthony since it appears Porzingis isn't quite ready to be the franchise player.
The second-year big man averaged 20.1 points and shot 46 percent in his first 32 games. In the last 17, he's shooting 41.9 percent and averaging 14.9 points. He's scored 20 or more just twice in that stretch after doing it 18 times in the previous 32.
"The break will be good for him," Hornacek said.
Porzingis didn't entirely disagree.
"There are moments that you feel like you need a break during the season, but with the way the season moves on, you get a day off and you're good to go again," Porzingis said. "So it's not really that I need a break _ more mentally than physically, maybe."
If anything, Porzingis can learn from Anthony about playing through distractions and drama. Anthony, who was named an All-Star replacement for injured Cavaliers forward Kevin Love on Wednesday, has flourished amid the controversy surrounding him and the Knicks.
Since Jackson confidant Charley Rosen wrote that "Anthony has outlived his usefulness in New York," Anthony has played like an All-Star. He's averaged 26.2 points in those 17 games, scoring 30 or more seven times. But it's only resulted in five wins.
So anything is possible with the Knicks over the next seven days.
"Everyone needs the break from everything," Hornacek said, "and then they'll come back ready to go."
Well, maybe not everyone.
