The New York Knicks are not good but you already knew this. After much fanfare and optimism in the offseason from within the organization about the team’s chances this season, the Knicks have imploded. The on-court product has been awful and the surrounding storylines have somehow been worse.
The Knicks have had this issue for a while now. They set expectations too high and they never reach them. Perhaps that’s why, as Carmelo Anthony put it, the Knicks have had discussions on why the Miami Heat have a better record than them:
Apparently, the Knicks also wonder how a team like Miami, with less talent, has a better record. "Guys discuss that a lot," Carmelo said.
— Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) March 9, 2017
Melo: "We talk about that amongst ourselves, kind of what is it. What’s happening, especially with the talent we have in this locker room"
— Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) March 9, 2017
This is a really surprising statement from Melo, not just because it’s odd to hear about NBA players wondering why other teams are better than them, but also because it shows a fundamental overrating of the talent that the Knicks have.
No one on the Knicks, not an out-of-his-prime Melo nor a sophomore Kristaps Porzingis, is better than the Heat’s Goran Dragic. One could make a similar argument for Hassan Whiteside. The Heat have also gotten more out of their players, developing young ones like Tyler Johnson and Josh Richardson into good role players.
The Knicks are five games below the Heat right now. It’s time to accept that they just aren’t a very good team, from the top to the bottom of the roster.
