Last regular season, the Knicks finished second in the Eastern Conference, winning an impressive 54 games, including going 3-1 over the eventual NBA Champions, the Miami Heat.
After winning their first playoff series since 2000, Knick's fans had high expectations coming into the 2013-2014 season. Over the past couple of years in the Eastern Conference, only two teams had separated themselves from the pack, the Heat and the Pacers. With injuries to Derrick Rose the past two seasons, the Bulls have fallen from the ranks of top contenders in the East. With that, there was certainly an opportunity for the Knicks to establish themselves as one of the East's premier teams with another good year.
However as we know, that did not happen. The Knicks have struggled all season, only showing rare glimpses of being the team many thought they were capable of being. The Knicks are now 14 games below .500, and hopes for claiming the eighth seed in the playoffs grow slimmer with each passing game.
It may still be a bit premature to completely write off the Knicks, considering how bad the East is. Nonetheless, they have greatly underachieved and a look at some of the reasons why this season was a disappointment may help (or hurt) the grieving process for fans.
Firstly, the losses of key reserves from the 2012-2013 campaign have been overlooked. Jason Kidd, Steve Novak, and Chris Copeland, were all instrumental during stretches of last season. In a league where being able to stretch the floor and make threes is growing ever more important, the Knicks had shooters. The lack of bench production has mostly been blamed on Jr Smith's lack of professionalism, and Amare Stoudemire's lack of knees. No longer having a number of shot makers off the bench has held back the Knicks from reaching the success of a year ago.
There are certainly other problems that have lead to the Knicks shortcomings, beside losing a few useful roll players. Head Coach Mike Woodson has to take much of the blame. Even during the playoffs last season, the Knicks had befuddling defensive breakdowns. Unlike the good three point shooting, the defense breakdowns did carry over from last season. According to stats.nba.com, the Knicks have the 27th ranked defense in the NBA. This is unforgivable for a coach who is known for being defensive minded.
The problems on the defensive end can largely be attributed to Tyson Chandler being injured for much of the season. However, blow-bys, and late rotations still occur with Chandler. The problem is the lack of discipline, and players not being on the same page. That screams poor coaching.
It is also very difficult to win in today's game without good point guard play, which is something the Knicks certainly do not have.
Last season Raymond Felton was arguably the second most important player to the Knicks offense. Penetrating and kicking to shooters, setting up Chandler for lobs, and being another threat off the dribble, Pablo Prigioni excelled in his role as a defensive minded spark of energy off the bench. But with Felton hurt and returning out of shape, the Knicks have struggled to find a solid primary ball handler, often making Carmelo Anthony work even harder to get himself going offensively.
Carmelo Anthony is one player who has done his part this season.
Anthony has been an elite player for the better part of a decade, and he is proving that again this year. He is one of the games great talents in the prime of his career, who makes plays that few others can. When the going gets tough for teams, they often look to their best player, and Anthony has responded. Anthony is putting together another stellar season having games where has looked as good as any player in the league. For the unbiased basketball fan, watching the Knicks brings feelings of sympathy for the Brooklyn native.
As for the future, who knows? Smart teams usually build through the draft. The Knicks have been trying to figure out how to be relevant since Patrick Ewing retired (Ewing, mind you, who they got through the draft) And naturally, the Knicks do not have a pick in this years draft, which is loaded with talent.
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