In a blunder of a week, let’s take a look and review how the New York Knicks continue to fall apart. It gets no worse than two losses to the Brooklyn Nets.
The New York Knicks can’t seem to hold on to a lead. After a strong outing in the first half of Thursday night’s game against the Brooklyn Nets, the Knicks were completely dominated and devastated through the second half.
Jeff Hornacek and the Knicks would fail to beat Brooklyn for the second time in one week.
This team needs to start coming with a warning label. “May cause sudden heartache.” It wouldn’t be such a dramatic statement if most games lately didn’t leave one feeling confused and with the question of where the defense went.
Let’s review.
Rally Late Against Pacers, But Where Have You Been?
This is where the Knicks lose their identity or seem to lack ever having created one under Phil Jackson. Being swept Sunday and Thursday by what was supposedly the inferior team made the Knicks taking down a postseason-caliber Indiana Pacers team in front of a supportive home crowd both chest-thumping and deflating at the same time.
This team can really confuse you when they win the games they’re not expected to.
It appeared bleak at first going into the Pacers game after the mess from Brook Lopez’s feast from beyond the arc at Brooklyn. It seemed the Knicks’ “tank-a-thon 2017” was swinging in full gear.
Thankfully, this wasn’t the case. The Knicks sealed the game at 87-81 and Carmelo Anthony played an exhausting 41 minutes with 22 points, 13 rebounds, and one assist.
It was excellent to see that Anthony is still able to provide those minutes on the court rivaling Paul George finishing with a strikingly similar 22 points, 10 rebounds, and two assists.
Defense Wins Championships
The issue was and continues to be defense. It’s sad that Brooklyn is especially being used as the case in this week’s review, but they really have had their way with the Knicks anywhere they please on the court.
Thursday, the Knicks shot a terrible 18.8 percent from three point range, and had only 37 rebounds to Brooklyn’s 61.
It has become an issue too large to ignore any longer, and this has nothing to do with running the triangle scheme. It has everything to do with the effort. No matter how great Derrick Rose has been shooting from mid-range lately, or how solid Carmelo Anthony has been overall, mediocrity on defense from the entire unit is unacceptable.
It’s one more step towards rock-bottom.
With Kristaps Porzingis out of yesterday’s game, it’s easy to point to an incomplete starting lineup as the excuse. With the bruise on his leg healing, and the team’s defense not looking interested in improving at all, it may be wise to put Porzingis out of the rotation for the remainder of the season.
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The New York Knicks should already be planning ahead to have a healthy roster for next year, and if they’re not, they better start.