Enough with celebrating Knicks' mediocrity
The Knicks are 10-9 for the season, and they are coming off back-to-back victories against the disappointing Timberwolves Friday night.
Knicks fans have been celebrating this achievement as if this is 1994 all over again. That’s how bad the Knicks have been in recent years. The bar is obviously set low by the local media and Knicks fans.
It’s sad. No one should be celebrating this as an accomplishment. Being 10-9 shouldn’t have anyone saying the Knicks are back. It shouldn’t give them a Canyon of Heroes parade.
I remember when people would panic about the Knicks at 10-9 during the 90s. That’s the standard we need to have. Not tolerating mediocrity.
Remember this team had a winning record for the first three months last year until the bottom fell out in February. Derek Fisher paid the price as the Knicks coach for the team’s regression by being fired.
So there should be perspective for a 10-9 start.
Yes, there’s so much to be excited about this team. Carmelo Anthony is playing good basketball. He is playing defense. He is working well with Kristaps Prozingis when it comes to running the offense. He is even making shots down the stretch.
Most importantly, he is buying in what first-year Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek is bringing with the core concepts of playing basketball such as spreading the ball and playing defense.
This has to be encouraging. Anthony has struggled to play for many Knicks coaches such as Mike D’Antoni, Mike Woodson and Fisher. They tend to lose him after awhile, and he becomes disinterested in playing basketball.
He is trying his best to play the triangle.
Prozingis is building off a good rookie season by being the team’s go-to guy in the fourth quarter. He is making shots. He has become a good shooter. His defense has been spectacular. There hasn’t been a sophomore slump for him so far.
Derrick Rose is finally fitting in the offense after missing time in practice for his court hearing. He was in a rape trial in September.
There are many positives that can be dwelled on with the Knicks. They have been entertaining to watch.
If fans want to say they are a work in progress, it’s not a crime.
But Knicks fans are already talking about how far they can go in the playoffs this season whether it’s sports radio or on social media. I would be more impressed if they sustained this winning brand of basketball for five months. Start there and go from there.
The Knicks should be a playoff team this season. Most of the Eastern Conference teams are mediocre. There’s one great team in that conference, and that’s the Cavaliers. So the bar is not that high.
The point is we should expect a playoff team. We shouldn’t be making a big deal everytime the Knicks win a game. It makes us look like minor leaguers by celebrating every win.
The Knicks won’t be back just by making the playoffs. They will be back if they go to the Eastern Conference finals this season. That’s where Knicks fans can say there’s a progress and good things in store for their team.
Getting to the first round and the second round does nothing. Any team can get there. It shouldn’t get people fired up.
What the Knicks need to do is give the Cavaliers a run in the Eastern Conference finals. Take them to six or seven games. That’s where Knicks fans can feel proud.
It’s understandable if Knicks fans below 30 years old are excited. They have seen bad basketball for all their life. But even then, there has to be standards.
This isn’t high school where we celebrate wins each game.
The Knicks need to get to the point where wins become expected by their fans.
Being 10-9 is not an achievement. Quite frankly, it’s embarrassing. They should be better than their record.
They need to know how to win on the road. They have to play defense. They have to learn how to win back-to-back games. Those are things the Knicks need to work on before they can get even better.
Knicks fans should demand more than just see their team be 10-9.
What they are doing right now is not a good look.
