New York Knicks: The Key To Success Is Commitment

Individual Standards

As previously established, the New York Knicks will win and lose as a team. In order to play and win as a team, however, the players must hold them to a high enough standard to fight through the trying times that come about in every NBA season.

It may be the coach’s job to help keep the players focused, but effort should be a prerequisite to playing at the highest possible level.

During the offseason, the players must hold themselves accountable in order to arrive at training camp in peak physical condition. That’s the first step in the preparation for being conditioned enough to defend at a high level on a nightly basis.

From there, it will be a matter of the players finding what head coach Jeff Hornacek claimed they were missing in 2016-17: a sense of pride.

The Knicks were once the pride of New York due to their blue collar roster and unrivaled passion for the game. They routinely out-hustled the opposition and forced teams to play a full 48 minutes in order to secure a victory.

It’s the coaching staff’s job and responsibility to draw up the ideal strategy, but it’s on the players to take pride in being professionals at the highest possible level.