The Knicks Odysesy to Get Back to the Post Season
It took a really long time but indeed New York is here
I grew up a New York Knicks fan ever since I saw John Starks posterize Horace Grant and Michael Jordan in the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals. That was the highlight that made me a Knicks fan for life. I rooted for this team because my family was from New York so of course I watched the local sports teams whenever my Dad or older sister had the TV. Every single playoff game felt like a national event because as a fan you kept hoping and wishing that some how, some way, this team would finally, FINALLY , win a championship so you can celebrate the moment with them.
Sadly, it just never happened. Something always went wrong and the Knicks would come up short. Whether it was Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Reggie Miller, Pat Riley, Alonzo Mourning, PJ Brown, or Hakeem Olajuwon there was someone or something that would ultimately ruin the Knicks’ chances of winning a title.
So trust me when I say that as a Knicks fan “I truly have seen it all.”
So you can imagine my reaction when newly crowned NBA All Star Julius Randle screaming “New York we here!” meant to me that led me to have a big, gigantic grin on my face that I have not had in a long time. Despite a turbulent year in my personal life with my failing health and struggles to bounce back after a terrible 2020 Randle’s comment literally provided such a positive boost that I could not help but scream “F*** YEAH WE HERE!”
The New York Knicks are one of the NBA’s storied franchises. You would not believe it but this team was one of the originators of the nature of professional basketball. They are as important as the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. So it is incredibly frustrating and aggravating to see one of the pillars of NBA basketball continue to suck for many, many, MANY years. It should not be the case considering they are a large market team, have a billionaire owner, and are in an environment that prides itself as a major sports town. Yet, the Knicks have not been in the playoffs consistently since the turn of the millennium. After 2001, the Knicks transformed from being one of the most feared teams in the NBA to a laughingstock of a franchise marred by poor decision makers, poor roster constructions, and wayward movements with no sense of direction or progress.
I watched this franchise shoot themselves in the foot so many times I was for sure that I would never see a good basketball team ever again. Whether they drew the ire of the basketball gods like Odysseus did with Poseidon the Knicks were stranded in the open seas of putrid NBA basketball. There are so many stupid decisions I literally could go on a soliloquy on every terrible move made that further damaged the team’s reputation and legacy. The trade for Antonio McDyess and that pick ended up being Amare Stoudemire in his prime. The Stephon Marbury trade. The Eddy Curry trade that had picks ending up being LaMarcus Aldrige and Joakim Noah in their prime. The hiring of Steve Mills and Isiah Thomas. The Anucha Browne Sanders Scandal. The Knicks Nuggets Brawl in 2006.
Good grief…just take your pick.
For a while it seemed like we would forever be stuck in the dark ages of basketball, never truly evolving with the NBA and actually providing entertaining basketball. We had small glimmers of hope during the Knickstape Era and Linsanity but like small candlelit flames they went out with a simple huff of breath. Eventually Madison Square Garden Garden Chairman and CEO James Dolan got fed up and decided to make some changes that would help get the team back on track. This finally manifested in firing Steve Mills (for the second time) and hiring former Creative Artists Agency superagent Leon Rose to jettison the Knicks into respectability and playoff contention. Rose first knew that in order for the team to succeed it would first need a head coach who specializes in player development while at the same time skilled enough to establish an identity and culture that can sustain success for many years. Rose had a lot of head coaches as clients who fit the mold. The one he felt would be a perfect fit was none other than an old colleague from the Knicks back from the ’90s era of basketball.
The Thibs Effect
“There’s no negotiation. It’s Thibs’ way or the highway. If you want to play you have to play his way.”
Tom Thibodeau was hired last July during the NBA Bubble. It was a hire that most shrugged as a solid hire but were not in the belief that Thibs would be able to do much in a believed “lost season.” The Knicks were just coming off one of the worst seasons in franchise history. The previous head coach David Fizdale was fired in November 2019. Julius Randle was in trade rumors constantly. The young players in RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, Frank Ntilikina, and Kevin Knox did not show improvement for the duration of their time with the Knicks and there were questions about their long term future with not only with the organization but in the NBA. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving chose the Brooklyn Nets over the Knicks during the 2019 NBA off season. It was clear that the Knicks were in a rut that very few saw them getting out of anytime soon. Most — including this writer — had the Knicks having a losing record of 30–42 this season, showing some improvements here and there but ultimately falling short of making it to the postseason (maybe luckily heading to the Play In Tournament).
*Cue the maniacal laugh*
Thibs was not particularly fond of the roster, even suggesting to the front office that they trade away nearly every single player to bring in solid veterans and try to compete for the playoffs. Luckily he was talked out of it and proceeded to mold their playstyle in his image. Thibs is all about the defense and this season shows. The Knicks have allowed just 104.7 points per game, the fewest in the league. They are the number one defense in the NBA. Thibs also spoke with the analytics department and helped reformed the team’s offense. He had installed a 4-point line on the court at their practice facility before the season and encouraged players to shoot from there. It paid off in dividends and they finished the season No. 3 in the league in 3-point shooting in the NBA.
Players needed to buy into Thibs’ philosophy. Regardless of how they may enjoy playing a certain way they had to adapt to his style of play. If not, they can find themselves either on the bench or on another team. The players responded in kind and are committing themselves to playing with effort almost every single night.
“That’s what we need,” Randle said to Mike Vorkunov of the Athletic. “We need to be coached. We need to be held accountable. So if we’re not doing our job, he’s going to tell us about it. That’s how should it be. We should hold each other accountable as well. The standard that we set every day, and we have to live up to that. We have to do the right things every day.”
Accountability and Growth
“I know you only get one chance to make a first impression in a city — and I was so disappointed in myself for how that first season in New York had gone…and I knew that if I wanted to shake off the reputation I’d built up, I really only had one option: to come out this season and establish a new one.”
Julius Randle had a terrible first season with the Knicks. A year ago the city was ready to pack his bags and ship him out of town for draft picks and cap space. It did not matter that Randle did not have the best environment to play in. The previous head coach was not good and did not have a good grasp of the roster or the direction of the team. His teammates did not play for each other and were pretty much “stat padding.” Randle did not lead by example and he knew that if he wanted to showcase that he belonged in the NBA he needed to change his attitude and approach to playing basketball.
And he did so without hesitation.
As noted in his Player’s Tribune article, Randle began to change every facet of his game. He worked on expanding his midrange jumper to serve as a stretch power forward. He also focused on improving his playmaking and versatility skills. This would allow to play as a point forward at times on the court as we have seen him do throughout the season. He also dedicated to watching tape excessively and also held himself accountable when he made mistakes as well as allowing Thibs to get into his face whenever he made a judgmental error.
Randle also made sure that he played with effort every single time he stepped on the court. He did not want to take any possession lightly. He hustled every single time when the action took place on the court. It was important to show his teammates that he was willing to everything he could to win the game and they should play with the same commitment and energy.
Return to the Post Season
“Fourth place sounds good. But like I said, we’re not done yet. We got a long way to go.”
It has finally led to this moment. After eight long years, the Knicks finally return to the playoffs. The journey was not easy and there were doubters but the Knicks have completed their most successful season since the 2012–2013 NBA season. However, the journey is not over. There are still ways to go for this team to improve. There is no telling as to whether or not the Knicks will be able to beat the Atlanta Hawks this postseason. Even if it ends up as a loss, Knicks fans should not be dismayed by the finale.
If you have watched two tours of Steve Mills at the helm of being President of Basketball Operations, you deserve this moment. If you had to listen to David Fizdale focus on Emmanuel Mudiay being the franchise point guard and “getting right” then you deserve this moment. If you had to remember Phil Jackson stress the importance of the triangle offense with the team you deserve this. If you had to watch Derek Fisher sleep with a player’s girlfriend or have a relationship with an ex-teammates’ ex-spouse instead of focusing on returning to practice to focus on coaching the season then you deserve this.
The Knicks have improved and are definitely back in the spotlight. But as Randle said, “they’re not done yet.”
Hit the damn music!
The Knicks face the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden tonight at 7:30PM on TNT.
*additional content provided by The Knicks Wall, The Athletic, The Player’s Tribune, ESPN, NY Post, The Daily News*
