New York Knicks Season Preview
Knicks Basketball: The Depressing Now Persists Through the Foreseeable Future
By Joey from Straight Bangin’
Depending upon your perspective, it’s been either really gorgeous or really ugly in New York this past month.
For years, a majority of Knicks fans have decried Isiah Thomas’s stewardship of the franchise, and owner James Dolan has not been spared from facing similar ire. Seeing the two figures most instrumental in the general demise of a franchise that had at least remained proud even when failing to capture a title suddenly dragged through the litigious mud of a sleazy sexual harassment lawsuit has provided cathartic schadenfreude. But that’s all Thomas and Dolan have provided, and that’s perhaps the ugliest part of the entire salacious episode.
The Knicks just haven’t mattered this decade, and they’ve slid from mediocre but relevant to embarrassing and infamous under the existing regime. Since losing to the Pacers in the 2000 Eastern Conference Finals, the Brickers have only made it to 40 wins or more once, and they’re averaging fewer than 30 wins a season over the past three years. A team whose defense was the bedrock of its success has become a porous outfit whose most exciting wins are characterized by the success it finds in spite of itself. High scoring, too many turnovers, bad decisions throughout, no defense–Go New York, Go New York, Go! If the team intends to significantly improve this year, the roster doesn’t reflect the intention. It looks like it will be another long season for Knicks fans.
The best place to start is at the point, with Stephon Marbury. When he’s not turning out interns in his truck, Stephon is helping to turn other teams into winners. Last season, Stephon played the most minutes of any Knick, and he had the third-worst point differential (gotta use that word if we’re talking NBA, just listen to your favorite announcer describe shot and game-clock disparities. But I digress…) on the team, coming in at -167. With Stephon out there, teams scored more than 100 points a game while the Knicks usually got to just 97. And he was an equal-opportunity loser: Of the Knicks’ twenty most common five-man floor units, Star Child was a member of fourteen, and ten of those had a winning percentage below .500. Ten also averaged more turnovers than its opponent. We can pick our way through more numbers, but the picture that emerges is an ugly one for Knicks fans. The team’s best player, the one who handles the ball more than anyone, the point guard charged with orchestrating the offense–he continues to score well enough, manufacture shots near the basket well enough, and pick up assists well enough, but it’s all done in a losing effort. Instead of leading the team to victory, he is most commonly responsible for losses created by sloppy play and absent defense. As Jason Jackson might have said were the NBA 2nite still the most fun NBA show ever: dat not good.
In some ways, it’s fitting that Marbury leads the Knicks, because he is truly emblematic of the roster: talented, but not enough defense, and not enough winners. Heading into training camp, we can assume that the primary Knicks rotation will be composed of Marbury, Jamal Crawford, Quentin Richardson, Zach Randolph, Eddy Curry, Nate Robinson, David Lee, Jared Jeffries, and Renaldo Balkman (once healthy). Wilson Chandler should also get a run. That said, is there a lot of mystery about whether the Knicks will work together? Improve? What’s new in this equation, aside from Randolph? And, just to keep the questions coming, is he really going to be a key to changing the fortunes and culture of the team?
We’ve already covered what we’re getting from Marbury. Sure, there will be nights when the offense clicks and the team uses the positive emotion generated by scoring success to pretend like it cares about defense. On those nights, Knicks fans will confer and agree that, “This team has talent. And they can play well when they concentrate.” But don’t be fooled–there will be more games when an opponent easily reaches 100 and the offense is an odd mixture of ill-advised shots, slow developing post plays, and sloppy passing all around. It can often be staggering to consider that the Knicks spend more time playing basketball than doing any other one thing, because they shouldn’t play in the disorganized and maladroit fashion that characterizes so many nights. And yet: Jamal will jack up all those threes and get hot for enough fourth quarters to dupe fans into false hope; Curry will score but not rebound and loaf on defense; Z-Bo will do something similar but grab more boards and hit a midrange jumper with some regularity; Q will invariably get hurt; and Nate Robinson will fully cement his grasp on the historical niche of gully streetball midget who thinks he’s better than he is. Too often, penetrators will enter the lane unencumbered and find shot blockers to be absent. David Lee is going to be a bright spot because he will work hard on the boards, will run the floor, and will oddly complement the lumbering frontcourt redundancy of Randolph and Curry. Renaldo will play a similar game, although he may have one of the worst offensive skill sets among NBA contributors. Jared Jeffries peaked in the press clippings produced by his prep career; as has been discussed elsewhere, he is not especially good at any one thing.
Take all of that offensive potential, account for all of that defensive indifference, throw in a few improbable wins and the monthly embarrassment, and you have a team that will probably win somewhere between 33 and 38 games. Oddly, these Knicks seem to enjoy playing for Isiah Thomas–and you might, too, were your coach making defense optional and encouraging you to hurt players on other teams–so he may even finish out the season as coach if Anucha Browne Sanders doesn’t triumph in court.
Best-case, dream-the-impossible-dream scenario: Losing Channing Frye and Steve Francis while adding Randolph leaves the Knicks stronger up front, less distracted, and unified. No longer playing for Isiah Thomas’s contract extension and no longer saddled with the fallout from Larry Brown’s one-man exploration of the deepest narcissism and petulance, the Knicks have an incident-free, basketball-focused season in which winning and defensive effort are mutually reinforcing. The harmony on offense and a newfound defensive zeal carry the Knicks back to respectability and the playoffs. Feeling benevolent, the league sends Jerome James to the Elmer’s glue factory and bans Isiah Thomas from basketball, making it impossible for him to remain with the team or ruin anything else. James Dolan impregnates Britney Spears and decides he wants to relinquish control of the Garden so that he can focus on his new family.
Worst-case, end-of-days scenario: Amidst stars falling to the planet and the 144,000 being saved, the Knicks struggle to win 25 games. Injuries shelve Stephon and leave the offense without a conductor, to aimlessly drift from jumpers to turnovers to offensive fouls. The defense is as bad as feared, and David Lee demands a trade because he’d like to play with proper professionals. Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, Boston, Toronto, Milwaukee, Orlando, New Jersey, and Washington all prey upon the Knicks, leaving few games against he Bobcats and Hawks. Anucha loses and Isiah stays. James Dolan decides that the best way to help the franchise to work longer hours, so he’s around the team even more.
73 Responses to “New York Knicks Season Preview”
Oct.1 at 1:58 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
Good stuff, Joey. Thanks.
Oct.1 at 2:05 pm
BETCATS says:
why the all the Bobcat hate?
Oct.1 at 2:06 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
Cathartic schadenfreude? I like it.
Oct.1 at 2:11 pm
Captain America says:
It’s hard out thar for a pimp
Oct.1 at 2:11 pm
Captain America says:
Marbles bury, if I only had a brain.
Oct.1 at 2:14 pm
g says:
he (isiah) inherited a bad hand,and has made it alot better than it was when he first got here. on paper the knicks are a top 10 team in the east,at a stretch top 5 (keep in mind that this is the east). now will they fulfill that is something else altogether.
Oct.1 at 2:14 pm
Bryan says:
As I said between the Mets, Jets and Knicks my entire sports year is in ruins. I’m loyal even if it kills me but damn…
Oct.1 at 2:16 pm
Tarzan Cooper says:
jerome james should have been sent to the glue factory last year.
Oct.1 at 2:21 pm
Tony G says:
the Knicks have some nice INDIVIDUAL talent, but collectively, I don’t like their team..a bunch of ballhogs that don’t play D..that Curry-Randolph frontcourt might be the worst defensive frontcourt in NBA history..
Oct.1 at 2:24 pm
Bryan says:
The knicks not average one blocked shirt per game as a team.
Oct.1 at 2:26 pm
jbn74sb says:
“gully streetball midget who thinks he’s better than he is.” Great line, and I am going to steal it and use it on half the dipsh-ts I play with.
Oct.1 at 2:26 pm
white hot eboy says:
Joey Tribiani? Dude is selling them about 10 wins short.
Oct.1 at 2:30 pm
Bryan says:
might not* holy sh*t my typos are amazing today.
Oct.1 at 2:34 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
It’s going to be so much fun to see what excuses get made this year when the Knicks miss the playoffs again. Chicago, Detroit, Jersey, Cleveland, Orlando, Washington, Toronto, Boston are all better teams, as are Miami and Milwaukee (who should both at least make things interesting). Count on at least one huge locker room blowout in the World’s Most Irrelevant Arena.
Oct.1 at 2:35 pm
mutoni says:
sunny!
Oct.1 at 2:41 pm
white hot eboy says:
Russ, it’s cute that you have the Heat veiled as being on the outside looking in at the top 8 East teams. Give up the hate, son. It’ll be allright. I have it on good authority that the Heat preview coming to SLAM will have some Bulls love too.
Oct.1 at 2:42 pm
Jake Appleman says:
“Take me home. Take me home. To the place that I was born. New York City…” Good stuff, Joey. Write more. Law school less.
Oct.1 at 2:45 pm
Sam Rubenstein says:
i respect the negativity. It’s a lot of pressure writing the Knicks preview and you came through.
Oct.1 at 2:47 pm
jbn74sb says:
Law school less is always a good mantra, believe me.
Oct.1 at 2:47 pm
Bryan says:
You can’t even make an excuse for them.For all the talk about how Stephon and them are buying into the system , they’re not doing a thing.So does the system suck or the players? I’ve never been a Jamal Crawford fan , he’s a Starks-esque chucker without the hustle and heart of Starks.And he’s the least of their problems.There’s nothing more anybody can say.Eddy Curry rebounds like a guard we all know that, his next emphatic block may as well be his first.Zach Randolph can’t even jump over the lines on the court.It’s just a pathetic roster.I hope they surprise me cause I feel like I’m due for one of my teams to be good.But I’m not holding my breath.
Oct.1 at 2:49 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
Hey man, I have absolutely nothing personal against the Heat. I just question a) Shaq’s motivation, b) Wade’s durability, and c) the rest of the roster. Am I wrong to do so?
Oct.1 at 2:51 pm
Bryan says:
Russ:No
Oct.1 at 2:58 pm
white hot eboy says:
Russ, we’ll see. As long as the first two take care of themselves, they’ll be in the playoffs. And Shia, stay outta my conversations, before I have Bumblebee run your ass down.
Oct.1 at 3:08 pm
Sparker says:
“an equal-opportunity loser?” “a gully streetball midget who thinks he’s better than he is?” that’s what’s i call a great start to the slam preview season…
Oct.1 at 3:10 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
I agree with that. Heck, I’d go as far as to say if Shaq and Wade can manage to play 60 games apiece they make the playoffs (at whose expense I’m not sure). But while the East still isn’t as tough as the West at the top, there’s a lot of parity going on. A couple teams are going to be VERY disappointed come April.
Oct.1 at 3:27 pm
bryan says:
I’m just saying..
Oct.1 at 3:30 pm
white hot eboy says:
Sorry, Bryan.
Oct.1 at 3:32 pm
H to the izzo says:
Eboy:Are you..?
Oct.1 at 3:35 pm
master says:
people you are talking nonsense, the Knick will have a great season - wait at least 2 month till you start wrighting again
Oct.1 at 3:35 pm
bryan says:
You know living in Atl isn’t much better than it was PC they black out other football games during Falcons games.I’ve never heard such homer announcers in my life.Like 2 weeks ago the guy said “not a well thrown ball, that was just a GREAT play by a GREAT playmaker…That is why Roddy White was a first round pick” I thought I was hearing Bill Walton for a minute.At least in Florida I got both games although FSU fans are just as bad.
Oct.1 at 3:40 pm
white hot eboy says:
Izzo, am I what? White? Hated? What man, what?
Oct.1 at 3:40 pm
Lucci says:
This is our season
knicks are taking the Atlantic Conference
Oct.1 at 3:41 pm
jbn74sb says:
No eboy - sorry.
Oct.1 at 3:44 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
Lucci: Taking it where?
Oct.1 at 3:45 pm
bryan says:
Shades of Patrick Ewing..Next thing you’ll hear is “we were the better team we just didn’t make the playoffs” Like I said last week at least we’re gonna overpay for Allan Houston again , things weren’t the same without him loafing about.
Oct.1 at 3:46 pm
Myles Brown says:
“Marbury did again say he was thinking about relocating to Italy when his contract expires in two seasons. And he doesn’t seem to mind that such a move puts a limited window on a chance to win a ring. “I’m not caught up in winning no ring,” Marbury said. “I want to win a championship just as a basketball player, for something that I do. Basketball is not my life. Like, if I win a championship, great. If I don’t, life is going to continue to go on. Basketball is only a short portion of your life. After basketball you’ve got to live the next 50, 60 years.” Um….
Oct.1 at 4:05 pm
bryan says:
thats the kind of passion we need..
Oct.1 at 4:21 pm
Joey says:
First, thanks for all the dap. Much appreciated. Second, I’m riding with Russ when it comes to the Heat. IF those dudes are healthy, then Miami will likely be in the playoffs. And after a summer during which he wasn’t playing and hearing lots of talk about Melo, Bron, and Kobe, Dwyane might go off on the Lig. Third, writing a Knicks preview is hard because everyone already knows the outcome. There is a challenge in making it worth noting anyway. I would like to think that New York could make the playoffs, but again, what defense will the be playing? I am a long-time advocate of selling off and trading away assets, retooling through the draft, and emerging as the Atlantic’s version of Chicago.
Oct.1 at 4:40 pm
Lucci says:
Russ you know what it is
Atlantic Division Champs
Oct.1 at 5:17 pm
Rubens says:
barkley used to say the same things starbury said…
Oct.1 at 5:27 pm
patrick says:
I hate being a knicks fan. there gonna suck. But i’ve heard that Z-bo arrived early to camp the other day, and that he was the only player on the roster missing. If they’re all working out early, maybe they are buying into to Isiah’s system. Maybe they’re tired of being the biggest joke in professional sports, and they’re going to rally, come together, and win some games in the face of all the doubters. (people who breathe) or maybe they’ll win 30 games again and Isiah will get extended through 2035. who knows?
Oct.1 at 6:59 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
Barring injuries, I don’t see the Knicks finishing ahead of the Raptors, Celtics or the Nets. Oh well, at least there’s Philly.
Oct.1 at 7:00 pm
Rob Paxon says:
For the first time in my life I will not be using the Knicks for my franchise when I pick up this year’s ball game (NBA 2k8 in case you were thinking someone actually buys EA’s game). I will be trading for David Lee though, you can bank on that.
Oct.1 at 7:01 pm
Rob Paxon says:
Also I’d like to be the 5th co-signer on that Nate Robinson line. He’d be good if he weren’t bad.
Oct.1 at 7:54 pm
David says:
After this stint with the Knicks, and presuming this season goes as badly, will Isiah ever get another job with GM or coaching duties? Or will he get squeezed into meaningless NBA jobs, assuming he doesn’t just quit.
Oct.1 at 11:17 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
Isiah’s next NBA-related job might involve selling Cracker Jacks in the stands or re-stocking jerseys at the NBA Store.
Oct.2 at 1:09 am
TC says:
If the Knicks want to win again then simply trade Stephon Marbury and watch the miracle happens. It never fails…..
Oct.2 at 4:51 am
Andrew says:
got me reaching for the lexicon this one…
Oct.2 at 5:14 am
Russ Bengtson says:
Actually, Philly might finish ahead of the Knicks, too. I assume if the Knicks somehow finish last in the Atlantic, the Apocalypse will follow shortly thereafter.
Oct.2 at 6:08 am
T. Dowey says:
How’s the undying loyalty to Marbury holding up in the slam dome, finally dying?
Oct.2 at 9:08 am
ryan says:
Ok,now I know that this joey guy’s got to be a nuggets fan and is still mad about melo missing those games.Seriously my prediction with a little positivity in it:
Knicks win 45 games, get the 5th or 6th seed and make it to the second or third round,david lee is MIP averaging 20 and 10 because curry and randoplh miss some games due to injury, steph leads the way and is even considered as an MVP candidate but ends up in like 7th place.
If this does happen,please let joey write the knicks season recap.
Oct.2 at 9:45 am
Bryan says:
Where’s the updates today fellas?
Oct.2 at 10:22 am
Lz - Cphfinest3 says:
Just some quick thoughts regarding the Knicks season:
Marbury is just about as good at running a team, as Isiah is with women..
The only thing Starks’ish about Crawford is the 3 for 17 games..
And wait and see it’s just a matter of time before lil’Nate the Hobbitlord pulls a Van Gundy, the only question remains; is he gonna be clingin’ to D. Howard’s ankel or Shaq’s wheelchair?
Oct.2 at 10:23 am
Jared says:
Were the Knicks really in worse shape before Isiah took over?? At least they had Lampe and expiring contracts…they were in the middle of rebuilding (kinda…hopefully) until Isiah came in and traded for every High school star than never panned out in the L because they’re a loser with a bad attitude and no jumper that loves to shoot. This team is awful, I want to root for them to lose so they can start rebuilding but I’m sure Isiah will get rid of his draft picks for an ugly chick to flirt with instead of pay attention to his underachieving overpaid idiots. WTF is Dolan smoking that he keeps extending this guy? Yeah they want to play for Isiah, they like to play for Isiah, lets keep the players happy, after all, they’re the ones out there on the court. This team makes me hate the NBA.
Oct.2 at 10:24 am
Jared says:
Na, Nate will throw his hands up and spark a brawl that gets one of his players sucker punched and fails to draw momentum for a team that could care less about the guys sitting next to them on the bench. No heart, no talent, this is not New York basketball…
Oct.2 at 11:15 am
Jeremy23 says:
the knicks suck so bad. I think they have one of the most overrated players in Stephon. He’s unfocused, can’t win games and only cares about his stats. Remember all the talk Steph did way back in slam(ish with the bentley @ Coney Island)about wanting to be the best point guard in the L. About his will to win being relentless and all. Well whoever bought that story should ask for a refund. Also Isiah has used up all of his credit he deserved as a player. Let’s face it(and to quote Tom Cruise); he’s a jerk!
Oct.2 at 11:52 am
h-town nick says:
Well done. My only fear is that the general “man, f*ck defense” attitude of this team will tragically crush the spirit of David Lee.
Oct.2 at 11:57 am
h-town nick says:
And I can’t imagine the offense will be anything but ugly either. Steph and Nate wanna shoot…alot. If there was a “low post black hole” all star team (coached by Moses Malone and Kevin Mchale) Z-bo and E-city would be locks to start. Not enough shots for a lot of egotistical players means they start looking for their own shot and forcing bad looks. Think of the chemistry of the shaq-kobe-malone-payton lakers…with drastically worse players. It’s gonna be rough.
Oct.2 at 1:23 pm
ryan says:
ok,
i can’t believe im the only person here who doesnt think the knicks are gonna fall apart next year.ok so isiah might be a jackass and dolan might be an even bigger one but for gods sake dont start going “um yeah the knicks suck,the players suck,the coaches suck,the owner sucks,the trainers suck,the ballboys suck,the guys that mop the floor during the game suck…”hows a team suppost to win withou any fans.i bet if they make the playoffs everyone will be like “yeah i knew they were gonna be good,i said it all along, i stand by my team even in rough times” everyone thought the mavs were a shoe in for the finals and look how that turned out.so dont go judge before anythings happened.
Oct.2 at 1:32 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Joey, your Michigan love makes me glad you’ll probably suffer as a Knicks fan again this year, but I am also mature enough to admit that you do, in fact, own my alma mater (even if you have to cheat with ineligible special teams players to do it.) Also, I’d just like to point out that my Cavs preview, which is formatted sort of like yours, especially at the end, was turned in to Sam before I read this. Just so it’s clear that, unlike all Michigan Wolverine athletic programs, I don’t cheat.
Oct.2 at 1:55 pm
bxballer says:
It’s funny how people throw the Knicks under the bus, but when they make the playoffs people will be quick to jump on the ship once again. The Knicks were in the playoff race until key guys got hurt last year, like Crawford, Richardson, & Lee. We will be the 6/7 seed in the east this. Trust me.
Oct.2 at 2:18 pm
Joey says:
Ryan, please continue to indulge in whatever paranoia and delusion are required not only to be a Penn State fan but also to think that Penn State still matters. Personally, I can’t figure out which of these is better: a) that Michigan has beaten Penn State nine straight times in eleven years; b) that Joe Paterno has gotten so old that he can’t even outcoach Lloyd Carr, who is atrocious; or, c) that lunatics on BWI will tout a “victory” over “scUM” if Michigan has to forfeit due to an insignificant player and the technicalities related to his enrollment. We own…Penn State. OK, sorry to hijack a basketball discussion. If the Knicks make the playoffs, I’ll cheer. But it won’t make them a real championship contender, so I’ll also have to wonder if it really means anything.
Oct.2 at 3:09 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Joey, you could’ve used fewer keystrokes and thus saved some time by substituting “your diploma” for “whatever paranoia etc & so forth…” It’s not like I have a choice.
Also: I know we still matter because we don’t lose to 1-AA teams, and because we’ve won the league more recently than you, and because Kirk Herbstreit says our drunk student section is louder than yours. Really, what more do I need?
Also: Nothing means anything, Joey, if that makes you feel better, though it probably doesn’t, just as a forfeit “win” over you guys will not make me feel any better, nor would it most of my friends. I’m sure there are fans of my school who would take it, though. They’re not all as smart as me.
Also: You’re welcome on us keeping Paterno around long enough to pad Carr’s stats and almost — but only almost — offset the fact that he can’t beat Ohio State anymore. Which, somehow, even we manage to do occasionally.
Also: Stop reading BWI. That sh*t is bad for your health. I get the magazine free at my office and I don’t even touch it, let alone those message boards. Sh*t will rot your brains like an amoeba in a Florida pond. As a slamonline contributor, I expect you to be smarter than that.
Oct.2 at 3:10 pm
Joey says:
Always gotta know what’s out there, man.
Oct.2 at 3:15 pm
Ryan Jones says:
I guess. I hope you know there are actually some good Penn State blogs. You guys have a dope one too, no? Maize and blue something or other?
Oct.2 at 4:26 pm
Tripset30 says:
The Knicks will make the playoffs… Now that I’ve got your attention, Jared Jordan should be starting for the Knicks… Now that I’ve really got your attention, FIRE ISIAH!!!
Oct.2 at 6:56 pm
Slobodan Chutzpah says:
Haven’t you heard? Starbury is nowadays super-tight with Jesus, having been “reborn” on June 29 (his words). The Knicks’ season will now be nothing short of a technicolor extravaganza of glory and success, with angels singing from the stands, Marbury beaming like baby J himself through games, scaring the opposition witless, and Isiah displaying all those fallen angel tricks he must have up his sleeve. After this revelation (indeed), they must be considered heavy favorites to win it all.
Oct.2 at 7:05 pm
Slobodan Chutzpah says:
This is what a Dolan/Thomas regime will do to a man…
Oct.2 at 9:25 pm
Joey says:
That’s a good point. I heard that JC is even planing to eschew League Pass this year so that he can concentrate on MSGHD and help the Knicks run the Lig.
Oct.3 at 7:39 am
Ignatius J Reilly says:
Cathartic schadenfreude? What are you, the German Aristotle?
Oct.3 at 11:19 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
What, like an Irish monk?
Oct.3 at 11:20 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
And as for Steph, not only is JC his homeboy, his locker is only like three guys away. What, we were talking about someone else?
Oct.5 at 9:24 am
Joey says:
LOL. I like that, Russ.