The thing about being a true Knicks fan is that you’re used to disappointment and heartbreak. You swear every year you’re done with them and vow to quit loving them, yet you just can’t do it.
That’s what being a true blue New York Knicks fan is about and this year’s team is putting their fan’s loyalty to the test once again.
Last year under new head coach Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks showed promise, particularly on defense.
The team ranked first in almost every defensive category including field goal percentage (44%), three-point shooting percentage (33.7%) and total points allowed per game (104.7). Offensively they struggled, placing 26th out of 30 teams.
The Knicks made the playoffs for the first time since 2013 but lost to the Hawks in the first round after which management went to work.
They signed their All-Star, Julius Randle, to a four-year, $117 million contract extension. They tried to address their offensive ineptitude by drafting Houston’s Quentin Grimes and signing veterans Evan Fournier and the Bronx’s own, Kemba Walker. Those moves were supposed to complement the tough defensive attitude instilled by Thibodeau and take the Knicks to the next level.
Despite those moves, the team was still devoid of the primary elements they’ve lacked since the 90s.
A franchise player, a leader and an identity.
During the 90s, the Knicks were bullies in the paint. If you dared to enter the lane, you had to run the Oakley, Mason, Ewing gauntlet.
Those teams were also built around their franchise star, Patrick Ewing. Unfortunately for Ewing and Knicks fans worldwide, the team failed to find that second star after Bernard King was lost to injury, so they were forced to endure numerous postseason heartbreaks, including the NBA Finals in 1994 and 1999.
After stumbling through years of underachievement, poor management, scandal and a lack of talent, last year was a refreshing season of promise.
But the start to the 2021 season has been agonizing.
Following a hot start, the Knicks have regressed significantly. After Wednesday night’s loss to the Pacers in Indiana, the team sits in 11th place in the East with a record of 12-13. Even more alarming, they’ve tumbled down to the middle of the pack defensively.
New York continues to lack an identity and now their strongest quality, defense, has dimmed significantly.
So what’s going on?
The Knicks seem to have lost the glue that pieced them together last season. They look slow on defense, particularly on pick and roll plays where their reactions are mistifying.
Offensively, hey live and die behind the three-point line. If they’re cold behind the stripe, it will be a long night. RJ Barrett has taken a few steps back this season and isn’t living up to the Duke hype.
Then last week Coach Thibs decided to bench 4x All-Star Kemba Walker. Since Kemba’s DNP against the Hawks on November 27th, a game the Knicks won, the team has gone 2-4. That stretch includes a loss to the Nets and two straight losses at home against the Bulls and Nuggets.
“It’s a tough decision to make, but you always have to do what’s best for the team,” said Thibodeau about his decision. “I view Kemba as a starter … and I’ve got great respect for who Kemba is as a person, number one, and all that he’s accomplished in this league. But I have to do what I think is best for the team.”
Kemba never seemed to fit in Thibodeau’s system of bigger, tougher defensive-minded guards. Yet for a team thirsting for offense, not finding a way to use a player who averaged over 19 points a game before coming home seems crazy.
And to bench him is humiliating, frustrating, and a little surprising.
To his credit, Kemba hasn’t pouted or gone the route of Ben Simmons or John Wall. Instead, he’s taken the high road.
“I’m here for my teammates,” Kemba said after the benching. “I’m here to help these guys as much as possible. I could be pissed. I could be upset. But at the end of the day, there are some young guys here who look up to me.”
Now the season has only just begun, so New York has time to recapture the magic which propelled them to the playoffs last year. The same goes for Kemba unless they decide to trade him.
Every winning team in the league has star power, an identity, and a leader.
The Knicks need someone, or something, to rally around and lead the team out of the funk they’re in. Kemba should have been that player, but for some reason, he’s fallen victim to the curse NY-born and raised players often suffer from when they play for the Knicks.
New York has time to regroup and correct the issues that are hampering them, so a turnaround is not impossible.
But if they wait too long, it will be another season of more heartache and disappointment for long-suffering Knicks fans.
