It hasn’t been a good season for the New York Knicks. They have gotten off to the worst franchise start in their history at 4-17 by losing to Charlotte on a Kemba Walker buzzer beater. I find it a complete mystery as to how you can’t do well with Carmelo Anthony on your team. The thing is, none of the Knicks players are team players. Derek Fisher and Phil Jackson have tried to create some synergy between these players by utilizing the triangle offense, but the Knicks don’t use it well at all. J.R Smith, Carmelo Anthony, and Amar’e Stoudemire aren’t the people you want to run the triangle offense, it just doesn’t work. Despite all the problems revolving around the Knicks, Power Forward Amar’e Stoudemire who seems to have revitalized his career, is saying they still have a shot at the Atlantic Division.
From Ian Begley of ESPN New York:
“With Toronto and [DeMar] DeRozan being hurt now, you never know how that team is going to end up. Brooklyn’s not playing great. The division is still open,” Stoudemire said after the Knicks’ loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers Thursday night. “We’ve just got to turn this thing around.”
DeRozan is out indefinitely with a torn tendon in his left groin, and the Raptors have won two of four since the shooting guard went down.
The Knicks are 11.5 games behind first-place Toronto entering play Saturday. They’ve also lost seven straight and 16 of their past 18.
I will give the Knicks the benefit of the doubt, we are not even 1/3 into the NBA season, and there is still enough time to secure a playoff spot, especially in the East. The Atlantic Division is home to some pretty bad teams, and arguably the worst division in the NBA. Philadelphia is in their best shape to tank this year. Brooklyn is playing some bad basketball, and not nearly performing as well as they did last year. Boston is up and coming and young, but they just seem to inconsistent to make any big moves. Toronto is the only legit threat. The Raptors are off to a great start, but are without their leading scorer in DeMar DeRozan. Even that being said, he will only be out for a month, and unless the Knicks cover some ground starting today, they won’t be able to catch up to the Raptors.
Maybe Amar’e is just trying to rally the troops. Make fans and players believe their is still hope in this loss of a New York Knicks season. We’ll see what happens next.
