Knicks Need to Learn to Play with a Sense of Urgency When on the Road
Let’s get this out of the way: the New York Knicks are in rebuild mode. The roster is still growing and it is unlikely that they will go to the NBA Finals, let alone the NBA Playoffs contrary to what the players and coaching staff believes. There is too much of a roster imbalance for them to truly make an impact and are just not ready to take the next step forward.
With that said, it is puzzling that the Knicks continue to be the worst road team in the NBA.
They have only secured one victory on the road and it was an impressive win against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Other than that, they’ve lost seven road games in a row against opposing teams. They’ve suffered their most embarrassing loss yesterday to the worst team in the NBA in the Chicago Bulls.
The Knicks fell behind by 13 points in the first quarter, which caught the ire of head coach Jeff Hornacek
“First of all, that’s worthless,” Hornacek told reporters. “The game was lost way in the beginning. That team had travel issues. We come out at the start not ready to play and let them get out to a big lead. There’s no excuse for that. We talked about that — to hit them hard at the beginning of the game. Instead, we were floating out there.”
This seems to be a common problem when the Knicks go up against opposing teams. They seem to revel in comfort and it backfires in excruciating ways that lead to losses and blown leads.
Good examples are the games against the Atlanta Hawks — whom they play tonight — and the Houston Rockets.
When the Knicks faced the Hawks, they led by 39 points, got comfortable, blew the lead and lost the game.
The following evening, the Knicks faced the Rockets on their home court and Michael Beasley scored 17 points in the first quarter, along with Courtney Lee’s additional 15 points and the Knicks were leading by 39 points again in the first quarter. Then they lose the game after blowing the lead in the second quarter.
“We got to stay together,’’ Beasley said to reporters after the loss to the Rockets. “We do a pretty bad job of it when things aren’t going our way. The second half, we didn’t do a good job of sharing the ball getting to their 3-point shooters, letting James Harden do whatever he want. We’re a young team.’’
Yes, the Knicks are a young team and games like those show how impactful inexperience can have on a game. They will eventually get better overtime but the team needs to commit to defense and not play lackadaisical regardless as to who the opponent is. It seems the players understand that they need to play with energy as well.
“I feel like I let my teammates down and I’m not talking about the final shot — in general,’’ Porzingis said. “We and I can’t start the game like that and I take full responsibility for this loss.’’
This has not gone unnoticed by the front office.
“With a young team, that’s the last component — learning how to win on the road,” said Knicks general manager Scott Perry.
The Knicks have to play with a sense of desperation and passion early on in the game. It is vital if they want to make the playoffs. Eventually the players will learn this but it is up to them — and the coaching staff — to ensure that they are prepared to play with urgency early on.
It may take a while but the Knicks will eventually learn this. Let’s hope it’s sooner than later.
Other Knicks Notes:
- Here are highlights of Frank Ntilikina’s play from yesterday. The rookie had an excellent showcasing, walking away with 10 points and seven assists. It’s a shame that his excellent game was overshadowed by a lackluster performance from his team.
- Scott Perry told reporters yesterday that he has no desire to tank, stating that is unhealthy for institutionalized losing. This is understandable. While it leads to higher draft picks, it can kill the team’s morale and desire to play hard. However, he should keep in mind that it can lead to a game chaning prospect that could help the team to win (see Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid).
- He also stated that he has no intention of buying out Noah’s contract. I honestly do not understand why Knicks fans would think this is a good idea. Even if they were to use the stretch provision, it would go against the cap and they wouldn’t be able to sign high priced free agents. Hornacek should find a way to utilize Noah within the rotation, especially since Kanter is a defensive liability and Noah has shown in small spurts he has some life left him in.
- Seriously, keep a close eye on Trey Burke in the G-League. He can definitely help the Knicks out.
*credit to NY Post, Basketball-Reference.com
