No, This Isn’t The Worst Knicks Season Ever
Sure this season has been an utter disaster but believe it or not I still wouldn’t call this the worst season ever.
Yes the 5-28 Knicks are currently on pace for a 13-69 record. And yea, maybe a season ending surgery for Melo runs the risk of our prized offseason catch coming back next season a little less effective than we’ll remember him. Despite these sore points, I still wouldn’t trade this season in for the worst one I remember. No it’s not these pitiful 2014-15 Knicks that give me nightmares; it’s another one. Come along kiddies and sit by the crackling fire with me as I tell you a tale about the worst Knicks season ever.
The year was 2007 and before the season even began, we should have known we were doom after watching this:
As you can imagine, it was all downhill from there. Or more accurately here if you want to pin point it.
Three months later as Knicks training camp began, Knicks President & Coach Isiah Thomas was accused of sexually harassing team executive Anucha Browne Sanders. Saunders was later awarded her $11.6M in damages as MSG and James Dolan were the ones actually found guilty. The trial was an embarrassment for the Knicks not just because it revealed the deplorable workplace culture of the Knicks but even more so due to the fact that Thomas somehow still managed to keep his job despite the Knicks poor performance on and off the court.
Shortly after the trial, many started to question how decisions were being made at the Garden with the Knicks getting off to a horrible start to season. After losses mounted up Thomas decided to do something drastic. He took Marbury out of the starting lineup. As you can imagine, that went over really well. Marbury would go on to abandon team in the middle of road trip after nearly coming to blows with Thomas on a team plane after learning the news. He also threatened to “dish stuff” on Thomas as revenge.
"“Isiah has to start me, I’ve got so much (stuff) on Isiah and he knows it. He thinks he can (get) me. But I’ll (get) him first. You have no idea what I know.”- Madbury"
Marbury only would go on to play 24 games that season due to injury, presumably from over wearing a towel over his head. The Knicks would rely on Mardy “remember him?” Collins to take over the Knicks starting point guard duties and as you can imagine the losses relentlessly piled up. Still though, Thomas would continue to hold his position without any consequences. It got so bad that it was believed that David Stern had to get involve by “encouraging” James Dolan to hire Donnie Walsh to clean Thomas’s collective roster, fiscal, and off court mess.
What separates this current team from the 2007-08 one is that most of the Knicks troubles now remain on the court instead of outside of it, and that’s a welcome relief for a team that is trying to rebuild respectability with fans and players alike, especially before free agency. Another bright spot about this season is that the days of Dolan interfering, or doing absolutely nothing when he probably should be, are over with Phil Jackson at the helm. Of course it’s too early to tell what difference that makes with the Knicks off to a wretched start. Then again, unlike the old Knicks, it can’t be overstated how much of a luxury it is to have massive cap space opening up in just a few short months. And hey, I’ve even come around on the benefits of tanking, so its also very probably the Knicks will have a top three pick in this year’s draft.
These are all laurels Knick fans around in 2007 would have killed for. There’s no denying these Knicks suck and how disappointing it is to watch five more months of meaningless basketball, but let’s never forget 2007’s nadir and keep that in mind before we feel completley despaired.
Follow Richard Bertin on Twitter @RichardBertin and check out his Knicks’ blog “Starks Raving Mad” or email him at richbertin@gmail.com