As if the Knicks don't have enough reasons to make changes, a shouting match between team superstar Carmelo Anthony and guard Iman Shumpert may force New York's front office to take drastic measures.

They just extended their losing streak to nine games, and in the apparent defeat, a shouting match erupted between Carmelo Anthony and Iman Shumpert. They were blaming each other for defensive miscommunications. As they approached the bench at the end of the third quarter, the two players' discussion got heated.

Anthony just ignored Shumpert who got emotional.  Shumpert was benched in the fourth quarter in favor of rookie Tim Hardaway, Jr., their first round draft pick this year. The latter responded and has been playing well lately. That is one reason why the Knicks are confident to lose Iman.

The New York Knicks are tied with the Milwaukee Bucks at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The only worse team in the league is the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference.

Melo has come out in public about the Knicks' problems. In the post game interviews, he said (courtesy of ESPN):"I think we're playing to lose rather than playing to win right now. When you lose games the way we've been losing them at home, on the road, you start thinking a lot. You start playing a little tense. You start playing on your heels."

"I don't know what we have to do as far as coming together as a group. I don't know if we've got to sit here for hours and talk and get it all out, but we've got to do something. Last year around this time, we had our identity as who we were as a team. This year we're still searching for who we are as a team and who we're going to be as a team."

Reading between the lines of Anthony's statements, he might be requesting for some changes. Anthony, being their superstar, is the most powerful member of the Knicks' organization aside from the owner. That's the usual hierarchy in the NBA.

However, some sectors of vocal Knicks fans are giving up on Anthony himself. Proposals of trading Anthony to the Lakers for Pau Gasol and next year's first round pick. The Lakers are considered the most dangerous suitors for Melo.

The best that Shumpert could get them was Dion Waiters of Cleveland which they refused. There aren't too many assets on the Madison Square Garden squad. They need to make drastic changes.