New York Knicks: Ranking the 5 most disappointing seasons since 2010
2) Knicks most disappointing seasons: 2016-17
Record: 31-51 (12th in East)
Coming in at number two is the 2016-17 Knicks. To be fair, this team would have been the best in the league if it was 2010-11—typical Knicks fashion.
The Knicks came off a disappointing 32-50 campaign the year prior, and Phil Jackson needed to start winning games. He had Kristaps Porzingis and Carmelo Anthony. He had no excuse for not making the playoffs, and Knicks fans and the media were out for him.
Having fired Derek Fisher midseason, interim head coach Kurt Rambis was the heavy favorite for becoming the full-time head coach. Rambis was awful in Minnesota, and Knicks fans would revolt if Rambis was promoted. However, in a last-minute turn of events, Phil Jackson hired Jeff Hornacek, Jazz legend and former head coach of the Phoenix Suns.
Phil Jackson, then, started the 2016 offseason with a bang. He traded for former 2011 MVP Derrick Rose for chump change: Jerian Grant, Robin Lopez, Jose Calderon. Rose was not his old self, but he was still solid and an elite slasher. He was also facing a rape trial and charges. He was ultimately cleared, but it clouded the Knicks’ training camp and plans.
The Knicks had an abundance of cap room in an offseason where the cap went up ridiculously, inflating player contracts and value.
Phil Jackson signed Joakim Noah, arguably the worst signing in Knicks history, to a four year, 72 million dollar deal. He then signed 3-and-D shooting guard Courtney Lee to a four year, 48 million dollar deal, splurging big money on an injured big and reliable starter.
The Knicks needed scoring off the bench, so they signed Brandon Jennings to a one year, 5 million dollar deal. The Knicks needed the Milwaukee Jennings that would score at will. However, 2016-17 had to be the season Jennings turned into a facilitator, who did not look for his shot.
They brought back Lance Thomas, who was solid the season prior, and signed Willy Hernangomez and Mindaugas Kuzminskas.
It was an eventful offseason that was filled with big names. The Knicks were bringing in a core of Carmelo Anthony, Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Courtney Lee, and Brandon Jennings. The playoffs were a realistic expectation, and Stephen A Smith said anything short of an Eastern Conference finals berth would be a disappointment.
Um, that did not age well at all.
The Knicks opened the season versus their pal Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, a preview of Stephen A’s ECF. They got hammered 117-88, but hey, a team with so many new faces needs time. Phil Jackson later criticized Lebron James and his “posse,” which was a disrespectful remark that drummed up a substantial public outcry.
To the credit of Jeff Hornacek, the Knicks started the season off strong at 16-13 and were the fourth seed in the East on Christmas. That’s when their descent into chaos began.
Two games after their Christmas day showdown with the Celtics, Kristaps Porzingis hurts his Achilles and is forced out of the lineup. The Knicks lost nine of their ten games after Christmas day, dropping well below .500.
This is where the season goes mad. Before a game versus the New Orleans Pelicans, Derrick Rose went AWOL and disappeared before tip-off. It was later reported that Rose went back to Chicago to see his mother, but nobody knew where Derrick was and whether he was ok for the entirety of the game.
Then, Phil Jackson tries to trade Carmelo Anthony. Carmelo’s no-trade clause (remember that in section one of this piece?) hindered the Knicks’ ability to trade him because Melo preferred to stay in New York. There were rumors that the Clippers and Cavaliers were interested, but nothing came through, and Melo was a Knick through the deadline.
However, Phil Jackson destroyed the relationship by ripping Carmelo on twitter and by indirectly singling him out in league circles. A trade was inevitable if Phil stayed on board.
Then, James Dolan had beloved (not anymore) Knicks icon Charles Oakley arrested during a game against the Los Angeles Clippers for a confrontation with security. It was a horrible look, and it did not help that it occurred during an ESPN broadcast of the game.
Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah did not finish the season due to injuries, and Noah admitted that partying too much distracted him that season.
What was supposed to be a season that ended the Knicks’ playoff drought was an albatross. It was the most embarrassing season from a public relations respect, and the Knicks stunk after Christmas. Hilariously, it would be the final season of the Carmelo Anthony era and the Phil Jackson era in New York.