I sometimes wonder if my New York Knicks are coming or going. After winning 54 regular season games last season the Knicks are 21-39.
Sure the Knicks played short-handed with their assortment of injuries. Tyson Chandler as been in and out of the lineup with his injuries. Amare Stoudamire is still not 100% back from his knee issues. Point guard Raymond Felton was in and out of the lineup with his own issues. All of those things would disrupt any team, let alone one not as deep as New York.
However, the Knicks have not made the best personnel decisions. I still think New York made a big mistake in not bringing back Steve Novak. Not having a 3-point shooter off the bench who could stretch the defense has hurt New York more than it cares to admit. And firing general manager Glen Grunwald – who helped the team win 54 games last season – was not a good look either.
The Knicks made a bigger mistake in not extending head coach Mike Woodson’s contract, thus making him a lame duck. If sports history has taught us anything, is that ANY professional team led by a lame duck coach does not do well. Those players tend to tune a lame duck coach out because they know that coach will not be around the following season. Woodson is a good coach who got a bad rap in his previous stop in Atlanta. Woodson also had a hand in guiding the Knicks to 54 wins last season. It’s not like the man forgot to coach overnight.
With all the issues I mentioned, my Knicks made the biggest mistake of all – not trading Carmelo Anthony before the trade deadline.
What would make the Knicks attractive to Melo? The Knicks will be in salary cap hell for one more season. I do not know of any marquee free agents who will be on the free agent market in 2015. Also, who would want to coach this bunch? If it ain’t Phil Jackson, then I don’t know who could right this sinking ship. Did I mention that the bumbling, stumbling James Dolan is STILL the owner of this franchise?
Why not trade Melo instead of letting him leave for nothing? I know the Knicks would not get anything of equal value for him, but at least a few expiring contracts to help their salary cap and a few extra draft picks would have been nice.
There is no way Melo would come back to this mess. If only Dolan could fire himself…
Categories: NFL
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