New York Knicks fans, everything is going to be okay

Take a deep breath, New York Knicks fans.

The All-Star Break couldn’t have come at a better time.  The Knicks have had their worst stretch of the last season and a half, blowing 20+ point leads against the flailing Lakers, the tanking Blazers, and most recently against the starless Nets.

Could it be any worse? The way Knicks fans are talking the answer is surely no, right?

Could it be worse for the New York Knicks

The answer is yes, it could be much worse.

Since the turn of the century, the New York Knicks have the worst record in the NBA at 709-1030.

They’ve made the playoffs 6 times in the last 21 seasons, and have only won 1 playoff series.  They’ve had – wait for it – 14 head coaches in that timeframe.

Their draft blunders have been well chronicled, as the Charlie Ward curse is still alive and well.

So yes, it could be much worse.

And while it’s clearly not New York’s season, let’s look on the bright side.

The Knicks have eight players on their roster under 25.

Obi Toppin, Jerico Sims, and Deuce McBride have all had moments of brilliance.

Immanuel Quickley and Cam Reddish, despite their inconsistencies, don’t back away from the moment.

And RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes, and Mitchell Robinson are genuine starting-caliber players.

Sure, the young guys could get some more minutes, but the fact that they’re playing ahead of their timeline and are performing better than the veterans they will eventually replace is a good problem to have and one that will inevitably resolve itself.

And while it might have made things simpler if the Knicks cleared out the logjam at the trading deadline, it really doesn’t sound like a deal was there.

That three teamer with the Lakers and Raptors – no thank you.

Alec Burks, Kemba Walker, and Nerlnes Noel are all expiring contracts going into next season. It’ll be much easier to find a taker in the offseason or at next year’s deadline. Who knows, maybe their salary will come in handy in the offseason in a trade or a sign and trade.

It’s been jarring how up and down Evan Fournier has been this season, but overall he’s performed quite close to his career averages.

This season he’s posting 14.5 PPG while shooting 42% from the field and 39% from three.

In his career – 14.3 PPG with a 45% field goal percentage and a 38% 3-point clip.  The Knicks are getting what they signed up for.

Would that Fournier money have been better served on DeMar DeRozan? Of course.  But hindsight’s 20/20, and Fournier is far from an unmovable contract. (But boy oh boy DeRozan would have been fun.)

And despite all of the Randle trade talk leading up to the deadline, Vintage Julius has been back over the last couple of weeks.  He may be a headcase, but he’s our headcase.

I’d expect the Knicks to heavily shop around Fournier in the offseason, as Quentin Grimes has proven he is a more than capable replacement for the shooting and ball-handling that Fournier brings.  He’s a much better defender, and already a favorite of Thibs.

And then there’s Thibs.

To repeat the fact from before. The New York Knicks have had 14 head coaches in the last 21 seasons. The Knicks can’t expect any level of consistency or stability if they let go of their head coach at the first sign of trouble.

Thibs isn’t perfect, but no one is. He’s proven he can lead a Knicks team to the playoffs and can handle the heat of New York.

Johnny Bryant’s time will come, but throwing an inexperienced coach into the fire before he’s ready would surely backfire.

The media and fans and the front office should continue hold Thibs accountable.  But there’s no magic bullet for one of the hardest jobs in sports.

The Knicks certainly have some work to do this offseason.  Derrick Rose’s absence and Kemba Walker’s struggles have shown that acquiring a true starting-caliber point guard should be priority number 1, 2, and 3.

A sign and trade for Jalen Brunson? A trade for Malcolm Brogdon? Tyty Washington or another lottery pick caliber player? Any would be better than the poo-poo platter they’re currently running at the one.

Clear the logjam. Extend RJ. Re-sign Mitch. Get Reddish some go and start thinking about an extension.  Keep drafting well.  All very doable.  The Knicks will have a controllable and stable core for the next few years.

Yes, this season has more or less been a failure. But it could be much, much, much, worse.