I am still in complete disbelief that the New York Knicks Monday night defeated the Atlanta Hawks, winning two consecutive games in the worst possible time. In what was a forgone conclusion that New York would have AT LEAST top four draft pick, has now become a dangerously dicey matter. Monday night could be a huge turning point in the Knicks’ season when we look back years from now, with the win against Atlanta and Minnesota Timberwolves defeat, New York no longer held the worst record in the league.
The following tweets from Frank Isola and Bill Simmons probably summed up what a majority of Knicks’ fans were thinking
When Knicks were losing the excuse was "this is part of the plan" So why are they winning now & potentially hurting their lottery position?
— Frank Isola (@TheFrankIsola) April 14, 2015
I highly doubt there is a plan. I think they're making it up as they go along.
— Frank Isola (@TheFrankIsola) April 14, 2015
Every Knicks fan I know is a threat to commit a double homicide right now. You gotta love the last 72 hours of the NBA season.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) April 14, 2015
Ian Begley of ESPN New York broke down the apocalyptic scenario of how the Knicks can end up with the sixth pick overall in the 2015 NBA Draft. This would just be disastrous, and would be a complete waste of the worst season in franchise history if the Knicks do not AT LEAST get a top three pick. Preferably top two at least, realistically speaking.
The #Knicks will likely end up with a top-5 pick in the NBA draft, but there's a small chance they can slip to 6th - http://t.co/mLOmp8TsWk
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) April 14, 2015
"If they win their regular-season finale against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday and the Philadelphia 76ers lose their final game to the Miami Heat, the Knicks would finish the season in a tie with the Sixers.The Knicks and Sixers would then split the lottery odds, giving each team a roughly 17.7 percent chance to win the top pick.If neither the Knicks, Sixers nor Timberwolves end up with a top-three pick via the lottery, Minnesota would select fourth because it finished with the worst record. The Knicks or Sixers would select fifth, depending on which team won a tiebreaker determined by a random drawing overseen by the NBA.If the Knicks lost to Philadelphia during that drawing, they would end up picking sixth in the draft."
Jared Dubin of Hardwood Paroxysm, Bleacher Report, and many more media outlet spoke his mind on Twitter during and after the Knicks won Monday night. Dubin went off about the numbers on the Knicks’ possibility of sliding out of the top four pick.
If NY wins out, PHI loses out, they'd be tied and Knicks could have 30.5% chance of picking 5 or 6, as opposed to guaranteed top-4.
— Yaya Dubin (@JADubin5) April 14, 2015
See here: https://t.co/KfCn7UvLgG pic.twitter.com/oLGs4FFJMs
— Yaya Dubin (@JADubin5) April 14, 2015
This is stupid Still have the best chance and object is to limit downside to #4 pick rather than 5 or 6. https://t.co/pIqD0EIbNe
— Yaya Dubin (@JADubin5) April 14, 2015
FYI on why Knicks winning could matter a lot: worst record = no lower than 4th pick. 2nd worst record = 12.3% chance of picking 5th.
— Yaya Dubin (@JADubin5) April 14, 2015
Also: worst record has a 7.8% better chance of picking in the top-2 than the 2nd-worst record, which is what the Knicks *really* want.
— Yaya Dubin (@JADubin5) April 14, 2015
I think this was my favorite one, when Dubin responded to all the Twitter trolls, and I 100% agree with Dubin’s point of view and stance that it is COMPLETELY foolish for New York to be winning all these meaningless games. ACTUALLY let me take that back, these are meaningful games because the Knicks SHOULD BE LOSING all of them. Math is math and losing all these games increases the probability of obtaining the number one overall pick. PERIOD
N-O. I know math is hard, folks, but that doesn't change the odds or the 100% guarantee of a top-4 pick. https://t.co/ZabzTdqvmb
— Yaya Dubin (@JADubin5) April 14, 2015
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