The saga continues for the Knicks as they just can’t seem to find their groove anymore. However, is there any light at the end of the tunnel that doesn’t involve this season being over? We examined their current state.
If you take a quick glance at the Knicks’ record as well as how it went this past season, you’ll notice that Kristaps Porzingis is such a key player when it comes to their success. However, he’s not the only reason why they were winning. This is something that has been hinted at and it has to do with their team chemistry.
Before the All-Star break, their success lies in November and December and as you’ll recall, they were in a steady top 8 spot in the East. But somehow, it just came crumbling down before the New Year and they haven’t been able to recuperate. It seems that their half-time adjustments never really took effect and then the questioning of the lineups has been even more dominate. Personally, firing Jeff Hornacek isn’t the solution here.
Let’s fast forward to Kristaps Porzingis’ devastating injury in which many Knicks fans lost all hope. An ACL injury typically can take up to 9 months to heal but knowing Porzingis’ discipline, he will be looking to return as soon as pre-season this year. No time frame has been set for his return but one can imagine the anxiousness of the fan base as well as the rest of the team. To direct some attention to our title, what’s there left given his injury?
Quite a few new faces were added as some favorites left, including Willy Hernangomez. The new faces have brought so much talent that they even put up a good fight during Saturday night’s game against the Celtics. Trey Burke’s success continues as we’re all sitting back and watching. Even during last night’s Warriors game, the show continued as he faked out Kevin Durant. It’s okay to get excited.
Emmanual Mudiay also brings some promise as he got his third start yesterday with the Knicks. While many might have expressed some frustration over Jarrett Jack being benched, Jack is a professional and ultimately, he’s happy to have this opportunity considering his age. Although they lost to the Warriors, Mudiay dropped 20-points and your eyebrow might be slightly raised-yes, the Knicks can get it done. But is it perhaps too late?
Currently on a 10-day contract and showing so much enthusiasm is Troy Williams. Not for nothing, but he is making quite the case for himself so he can finish out the season with the Knicks. The Knicks may not get to the playoffs but at this pace and the way their schedule is looking, they can perhaps reach the 9th or 10th spot in the East as they’re currently at the 11th spot.
Has your faith as a Knicks fan been renewed? There’s no longer a need to “clean up house,” as many have labeled it before. The light at the tunnel is very near and once Porzingis comes back to the team, I’m sure that he’ll have better pieces so they at least manage to hold the lead till the 4th.
You can definitely expect the Knick to not tank, paging Mark Cuban’s Mavericks.