Welcome to the NBA Hangover. We jot down NBA stuff mostly from last night that we want to talk about. Check it out.
The Knicks got blown out yet again.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Adam Hunger/USA Today.)
The last time we extensively talked about the New York Knicks, they scored another upset on the Dallas Mavericks.
Since then, they’ve been 1-9. Three of their last five losses have been by 28 or more points. For the second straight game, they were humiliated, losing by 37 to a Nuggets team that needed a bit of waking up. This followed a 44-point pulverization from the Milwaukee Bucks. When all seems to go bad for an NBA team, play the Knicks.
It’s just all bad. The team is last in offensive rating (scoring only 102.7 points per 100 possessions). They can’t stop anybody (allowing 113.7 points per 100 possessions). They’re last in field goal percentage (shooting .422 from the field). They’re last in two-point percentage (making only .456 inside the arc). They’re last in free throw percentage (only shooting .673 from the line). They’re last in assists (19.8 per game). They hack a ton; they have the most fouls in the league at 23.8. All of this has resulted in a 4-18 record for the Knicks.
A lot of the time, it feels like the team would rather be anywhere BUT on the court. The mismatched roster seems to be more resigned than competitive (who would’ve thought about the power forwards not fitting together??). The promise of young players like Kevin Knox (who has regressed) and Allonzo Trier (who isn’t even playing much anymore) have dissipated. Their #1 option is Marcus Morris, who fits much better as the one doing the dirty work and, at best, the third option on a team. RJ Barrett might be something down the line but no one sees him as a can’t-miss superstar at the moment.
And the thing is… this team has been bad for so long. I know things can change in the NBA quickly just like that but right now, it looks completely hopeless for the Knicks.
They don’t have the current longest playoff drought in the league right now (third longest at six years) but we can see a shining beacon of hope for a lot of these teams. The Sacramento Kings haven’t made the playoffs since 2006 but they fielded a competitive team last season and have been hanging in games this year. They just locked up one of their main players (Buddy Hield) to a long-term deal. The Phoenix Suns were much in the same boat as where the Knicks are now but have looked competent this season with additions like Ricky Rubio and Aron Baynes. Installing in Monty Williams at the head coach position has also helped the Suns.
The OTHER NBA team that seems to have entitlement, the Lakers, looked pretty hopeless a couple of years ago. But stars are more likely to sign in sunny Southern California than modern NBA purgatory New York these days. Lakers got LeBron James and then got Anthony Davis in a megatrade. Now they’re #1 in the West.
Other teams haven’t been absent from the playoffs long. Dallas is on a three-year drought but all indications are that, uh, they’ll be fine. The Charlotte Hornets seem to be destined to be in the middle of the pack forever but guys like Devonte’ Graham give them hope for the future. And at 9-14, they’re NOT doing too terrible.
And if you’re wondering about the other current bad teams? Yeah, the Warriors have a worse record at 4-19 but they have the worst luck in health. They should be fine next season. The Atlanta Hawks have Trae Young to build around. The Cleveland Cavaliers are pretty bad, too, but they have had amazing lottery luck and have recently won an NBA championship. The Grizzlies have Ja Morant and the Pelicans will have Zion Williamson… soon-ish.
As for the Knicks? I suppose they can depend on the lottery (yet again) this season but somehow, you just feel they’re going to screw that up. David Fizdale is STILL the coach for this team but his ouster could be any minute now. The men in the front office (Steve Mills and Scott Perry) are probably not long for those gigs, either. After all, they’re the ones that put this roster together. They made weird statements throughout the last few months. They seemingly apologized for missing out on free agents yet there was a report that they never offered Kevin Durant anything. Yet on Media Day, they said that their plan came to fruition by putting together this roster. And then after a huge loss to Cleveland, they did a press conference after the game, which is unheard of for a front office. I’m not really sure what they expected out of this motley crew.
And of course, the elephant in the room, band leader James Dolan still has ownership of the Knicks. Unless some NBA stars want to take the challenge of taking the Knicks out of NBA hell (which most stars have avoided), this team is not going anywhere.
The Knicks fan base has got to have the most patient people in the world right now. They don’t deserve a team this bad. Like I said, the Knicks have been depending on the draft lottery the last few years but I feel you might have a better chance at winning the Powerball jackpot.
Bullet Passes
The Nuggets won by 37 against the Knicks and Nikola Jokic only scored 6 points. I mean…
Devin Booker went off for 44-8-9 in an overtime win against the New Orleans Pelicans. Like I said, the Suns actually look competent this season and are #8 in the West at 10-11.
You do kinda wonder about the Pelicans. They’re 6-16 and on a 7-game skid. We see some players put up numbers (Brandon Ingram is averaging 25.2 PPG) and we see some good vets on the team (J.J. Redick and Jrue Holiday). But they absolutely can’t stop anyone right now and it feels like they’re waiting for Zion to save them. I mean, yes, I get that but this team should be better than their record.
The Rockets are going to go ahead with their protest on their Spurs loss. Again, this could have playoff implications should the Rockets win this. We’ll see within the next five days!
In the meantime, they had an impressive win AT Toronto. If you’re wondering, James Harden only shot six free throws.
Davis Bertans went OFF on the Sixers in the second quarter. He scored 19 of his 25 points in that stanza. The Sixers can’t seem to win in D.C. as they have lost 10 straight games there.
Watch This Play
Jaxson Hayes spikes the rock down on Cheick Diallo. This was devastation.
(VIDEO CREDIT: Bleacher Report.)
Cheickmate!
Rey-Rey is on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass.
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Talent rules in the NBA. And that’s talent on the floor, not on the sidelines. Phil Jackson and the ghost of Red Auerbach couldn’t win with this team. That being said, no team in the league should be blown out by 37 points.
Unless that team is owned by James Dolan.
No doubt. Like I said, it’s not just the coach. This roster is… just not good. And very mismatched.