A study lead by Knicks' Director of Medical Care Dr. Lisa Callahan is what led to the team's decision not to hold morning shootarounds over the past two seasons, according to a person familiar with the situation.  It was not Mike D'Antoni's decision as was originally reported.

The sleep study showed it was better for the players to get the rest for home games rather than undergo double commutes to their Westchester compound and the Garden.

The Knicks regularly hold road shootarounds over the past two seasons as the club's hotel usually is a couple of minutes from the arena.

An unprecedented group workout is being planned for the weekend of April 29 in New Jersey which could dramatically alter the landscape of this year's draft class, particularly in regard to how underclassmen are able to “test the waters” when deciding whether or not to turn pro.

The workout would occur between the deadline set by the NBA for underclassmen to declare for the draft (April 24) and the deadline set by the NCAA for underclassmen to withdraw from the draft without losing their college eligibility (May 8).

Still awaiting approval from the NBA League office, the workout is for draft-eligible prospects at which all 30 NBA teams can attend. The New Jersey Nets, in conjunction with the Houston Rockets and New York Knicks, are hoping to host this event at their practice facility in East Rutherford.

Ideally this workout will feature as many top draft prospects as are willing to attend—not just underclassmen who are “testing the waters,” but also seniors and international players. Measurements and athletic, combine-style testing will also likely be conducted.

It wouldn’t be shocking at all if the New York Knicks make a play for Dwight Howard next season, perhaps offering either Amare Stoudemire or Carmelo Anthony at trade deadline.

Howard can become a free agent after the 11-12 season, and the Magic will be nervously waiting for the NBA’s most dominant big man to make a decision.

If they don’t want to wait and risk losing him without compensation, the Magic could listen to trade offers for Howard next season. 

The Knicks' training facility is located in Greenburgh, New York, an hour's drive from mid-town Manhattan.

Mike D'Antoni defended his decision not to regularly hold home game-day shootarounds, saying it doesn't make sense for Amar'e Stoudemire to have to make the round trip drive from Manhattan to Greenburgh 10 hours before tip-off.

"New York's a little bit different than other places," D'Antoni said. "I just don't know if Amar'e being in a car for two hours in the morning of a game is the way to go. If we can get (a) shootaround the day before, if we can get our work done, then I don't think that's the way to go. If we can't get our work done then yeah, we'll do this."

On Monday, however, the Knicks held their first home morning shootaround, which is standard operation procedure for most teams. D'Antoni does conduct game day shootarounds on the road but has passed on holding them for home games.

Donnie Walsh, who also lives in Manhattan and attended Monday's shootaround, suggested that getting the team out of bed for an early game day workout isn't such a bad thing.

"When you're losing a lot you change something," Walsh said. "We'll see it the change helps us."

Chauncey Billups may not be guaranteed his $14.3 million payday for the 11-12 season after all.

When Billups was traded to the Knicks, Donnie Walsh declined agent Andy Miller's offer to reach agreement on the final guaranteed year, which has become a better move in hindsight.

The Knicks could Billups out at $3 million and use cap space to pursue a big man such as DeAndre Jordan or Marc Gasol, two players Walsh has identified. Because of New York's struggles, Billups could conceivably be more amicable to becoming a free agent to sign elsewhere.

Donnie Walsh doesn't blame Mike D'Antoni for New York's 7-12 record since acquiring Carmelo Anthony.

"I think it's very little [on him]," Walsh said. "It's very difficult to put these pieces back together in a short time. That's why it's more my responsibility. That's why I rarely trade in the middle of the season, because it's a big adjustment. But I made it because it's better for the franchise long term.

"Though it's a future trade, I realized it would be a major disruption, and it's hard to get back to where it was. I liked the team we had before. But I didn't think we were going to win the championship."

The recent struggles of the Knicks have confirmed to Donnie Walsh that the roster still needs significant work.

"There was work to do before. There's work to do now. We were missing pieces before the trade. We're still missing the same pieces."

The Knicks are 1-9 in their last 10 games and Walsh admits the trade for Carmelo Anthony has not made things easier for Amar'e Stoudemire.

"What I see is I still got to get players to put around him to help him," Walsh said.

"He can do what he can do great, but we've asked him to do what's beyond him. I know what I have to add to this team. We need bigger people on the team. We need more of them."

With Isiah Thomas at the helm, Florida International University finished 11-19 this season, last in the East Division of the Sun Belt Conference. The upside is that Thomas has recruited five blue-chip prospects, but he will make no promises about taking the big step.

There has been speculation that his relationship with Knicks chairman James Dolan would lead to a return to New York after a brief stint as a Knicks consultant. Thomas quickly dropped that title, but many believe he was offering advice to Dolan during the Carmelo Anthony trade discussions.

The university appears committed to Thomas, and he remains based in South Florida until further notice. It would give the school peace of mind if Thomas pledged a long-term commitment, but he won’t.

“You’ve got to remember, I’ve been on the public stage since I was 17 years old,’’ he said. “And basketball has its own journey in terms of where it takes you. No one really knows where you’ll end up tomorrow.

“I believe the universe places you where you need to be at that time. And all I can do is be physically, mentally, and educationally prepared for wherever the universe takes me. I’m prepared for the challenge.

“You try to do the best where you’re at, and when basketball takes you someplace else, that’s where you go. My journey is no different from any other coach’s or player’s journey. My journey is just speculated on a little bit more.’’

Thomas served as the Knicks' president from December 2003 to April 2008, guiding the team to one playoff appearance over that span.

Carmelo Anthony scored 36 points in New York's ninth loss in 10 games as they were defeated by the Bobcats by a 114-106 final.

Anthony's 36 points is his highest output since joining the Knicks.

“Offensively, I’m not worried about that,” Anthony said. “I’m not worried about me trying to fit in into the quote, unquote system that we’re supposed to have. I’m not worried about that. It’s just one of those games, where if you take the second quarter out, we win the basketball game.”

The Knicks were outscored by 14 points in the second quarter.

Mike D'Antoni started Toney Douglas in place of Landry Fields to give the struggling Knicks a new look.

The result was their sixth consecutive loss, a 114-106 loss to the Bobcats.

“It’s not a consistent thing from night to night that I know I can count on that and count on this,” said D'Antoni, “and that’s where we kind of get in trouble. I’m grasping at straws a little bit, and hopefully, I can settle down and not do that.”

“Talent-wise, we’ve got a lot of talent,” said Chauncey Billups. “But as you know, talent isn’t everything. Camaraderie, cohesiveness and being a good team beats talent any day of the week.”