The New York Knicks will play 20 of the next 27 games on the road. Head coach Jeff Hornacek believes this is an opportunity for growth.
The New York Knicks have completed the favorable portion of the 2017-18 NBA regular season schedule. With a 17-16 record overall and a 15-6 record at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks have made the most of the opportunity they were provided with to set a strong pace at home.
Unfortunately, what’s following the stretch of 21 home games in 33 outings is a stretch that will cater to New York’s greatness weakness: Playing on the road.
New York is tied for the most home wins in the NBA, but it’s also tied for the fewest road victories. Unfortunately, the Knicks will carry that 2-10 away record into an upcoming stretch of 20 road games in a span of 27 total contests.
According to John Healy of The New York Daily News, head coach Jeff Hornacek believes the upcoming road schedule will provide an opportunity for growth.
"“I think the road games give us an opportunity. I don’t consider it a crossroads,” he said. “It might give us a chance to get a little rhythm on the road. When we’re playing one game in, then we’re back home, then five days later we go out on another one game trip, sometimes you can’t get into a rhythm. … I look at this as an opportunity for us to grow and compete.”"
That may come off as an optimistic take on the matter, but what Hornacek is saying adds up as a rational interpretation of the schedule.
The Knicks are undeniably terrible away from Madison Square Garden, but they’ve played back-to-back road games just once all season. Having played 21 of their 33 games at home, the opportunities to develop a rhythm on the road have been few and far between.
That in no way justifies a 2-10 record, but it could help explain why the Knicks have endured such inconsistency when they travel.
Thankfully, the Knicks will have an opportunity for redemption at the very beginning of the upcoming stretch of games.
New York’s post-Christmas schedule will begin with a road game against the Chicago Bulls. It will come just 18 days after the Knicks blew a fourth quarter lead during a 104-102 loss to the Bulls at the United Center.
It’s within reason that New York could exorcise some of its road demons by redeeming themselves with a win in the revenge game against Chicago.
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Fortunately, head coach Jeff Hornacek isn’t panicking about the upcoming slate of games. If the New York Knicks echo the sentiment, they should survive this third of the schedule.