Knicks aren't saying it, but yes, it's tanking time

SALT LAKE CITY - The numbers are stark and daunting. And the Knicks are finally giving in.

They won’t use the word “Tank.” But fans will probably use the word “Thanks” as Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek begins to sit his veterans and goes full Marshall Plumlee and Maurice N’Dour.

As the Knicks readied for Wednesday night’s game against the Jazz here with 12 games left on the schedule and a 7 1/2 game deficit in the chase for the eighth and final playoff spot, the reality is that even if they are not mathematically eliminated from the race, they are far more likely to end up in the NBA Draft lottery.

So the move finally has been made to sit the stars, play the rookies and start adding to the ping-pong ball count in the upcoming lottery.

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Carmelo Anthony admitted after Tuesday’s practice at the University of Utah that Hornacek informed him that the rest would begin now.

“Yeah, I think so,” Anthony said. “I think coach is starting to realize that. He mentioned today that he’s going to start shortening minutes. We’ll see what happens."

“My role is not going to change as far as mentoring and helping guys out. When I’m out there I’ll play, when I’m not, I’ll be helping everybody else. I don’t think my role is going to change. I’ll still come in here, get my work done and go from there.”

It’s not just tanking. Anthony has played nearly every game this season - a season that went south long ago with the 14-10 record a distant memory as the Knicks followed that by going 13-33 the rest of the way. Derrick Rose, who one NBA executive said this week he believes is still unlikely to return to the Knicks when he enters free agency this summer, has been healthy, but is hardly worth pushing to the finish line after his history.

So Plumlee got a lot of playing time - nearly 20 minutes of action. N’Dour was inactive Monday, but four rookies logged double-figure minutes in that game. The group actually chipped away at what had been a 25-point deficit, drawing the Knicks to the final nine-point loss. Maybe at some point the Knicks would have needed to put back in the starters to assure defeat?

Whatever the method, the Knicks are now heading toward the lottery full speed ahead. Right now, the Knicks are tied with Sacramento for the sixth-worst record in the NBA - giving them a 5.3 percent chance of the top pick and an 18.3 percent of landing a top three pick (we’re not breaking ties yet with 12 games left).

Email: popper@northjersey.com