Knicks superfan perfectly sums up fan frustrations with 12 words
In the most New York Knicks move ever, after winning eight games in a row, the team is now on a five-game losing streak. New York had a prime opportunity to stop its losing skid on Thursday against the previous 11-23 Spurs, but instead, the Knicks suffered a 122-115 loss.
Even though New York was without two starters in Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett in San Antonio, there’s no excuse why the Knicks trailed the Spurs for most of the game by double digits. Julius Randle (41 points) and Immanuel Quickley (36 points) combined for 77 points, but that wasn’t enough to knock off one of the worst teams in the league.
New York’s previous win streak had fans on a high, but that high has been followed by a hard crash back to reality. It’s now even more evident that if the Knicks don’t make changes, the organization will continue to be rooted in mediocrity.
Knicks fan and NBA Twitter personality Rob Perez went live to discuss his thoughts after the game and one comment in particular sums up what it’s like to be a New York Knicks fan.
Knicks 18-18. Thoughts. pic.twitter.com/Pg6ndXZ8aX
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) December 30, 2022
Knicks fans at a low after team racks up fifth-straight loss to lowly Spurs
At the 53-second mark in Perez’s video above, he said: “No matter what he does, this team is always gonna be mid.” He was referencing Julius Randle, who contributed 11 rebounds and seven assists in 43 minutes to go along with his 41 points. Randle’s averaging 32.8 points and 41.2 minutes in New York’s last five losses.
As mentioned, it’d be unfair not to acknowledge that the Knicks have been dealing with a few injuries (including Obi Toppin who last played on Nov. 7), but it’s how they’ve lost that has been so painful. Looking back at their losing skid, there isn’t a justifiable excuse for each loss.
Perhaps what’s the most troubling thing of all is that New York couldn’t find a way to beat a young San Antonio team that’s in the running for Victor Wembanyama. It didn’t matter that Randle dropped 41 points. You can blame the skid on Tom Thibodeau’s continued mind-boggling decisions, the roster construction, or the team’s overall lack of energy.
Thibodeau confused fans on Thursday by playing Evan Fournier (who hasn’t played since Nov. 13) over Cam Reddish. Fournier shot 4-of-6 from the floor and 1-of-3 from three to finish with 11 points in 17 minutes, but as Knicks fans know, his scoring inconsistencies and lack of defense make him a liability. He deserves credit for shooting the ball well against the Spurs, but that isn’t something that he can be counted on for.
Perez spoke on Fournier and Rose in his nearly 10-minute rant and said that there’s a chance that neither would be in the league if it wasn’t for their contracts. Maybe Fournier’s performance in the loss raised the eyebrows of an opposing GM, which would be to New York’s benefit as the Feb. 9 trade deadline is around the corner.
The Knicks weren’t supposed to be a playoff team in 2022-23, but man, it’s fair to say that fans were expecting a bit more than what New York has put on display over the past couple of weeks. With it being a long 82-game season, losing streaks happen, but the Knicks have somehow found a way to be an embarrassment again after winning eight games.
When will enough be enough?
