That series was a microcosm of the entire season for the 2010 – 2011 New York Knicks. They teased you with flashes of what they can do when clicking on all cylinders, but the harsh reality is that they are simply not ready for primetime.
The Knicks were very quickly swept by the Boston Celtics and just like that, the off-season begins. For some reason, they provided hope after the first two games in Massachusetts. That 0 – 2 hole that they took with them back to the World’s Most Famous Arena for Friday night’s Game 3, could have easily been a 2 – 0 advantage had the ball bounced their way in a few instances. However, such wasn’t the case. Conventional logic would’ve told you that since the Knicks haven’t been in the playoffs in seven years, haven’t won a playoff game in roughly a decade, and because the team is finally relevant again, that would’ve amounted to something in this series. It did: two lackluster performances on their home court.
Why did they play so well in both games in Boston, but come home and stink up the joint? Often times in sports, teams overestimate the impact of home court advantage. It appeared to me that the Knicks thought the home crowd would help contribute to wins at MSG. They weren’t nearly as sharp or intense at home as they were in Boston. Well, they got the shock of their lives. After Game 3’s embarrassing drubbing, I was hoping they would lose Game 4 so that it wouldn’t prolong the inevitable. There was no need to carry on the charade any longer after what I saw in Game 3. “Just pull the plug”, I was thinking. The Knicks were with a hobbled Amar’e in Game 2 and no Chauncey, but they still managed to keep it close. That was the scenario for both games over the weekend but the outcome was very different. Strange.
What if Amare’s back didn’t give him problems at the wrong time? What if Chauncey didn’t hurt his knee as a result of his foot making contact with the hardwood? We’ll never know. And what if I told you the Knicks would be the first team eliminated from the playoffs?
I’m not sure if the Knicks have no heart or if they were simply tired of playing for Mike D’Antoni because the effort on defense I saw in Game 3, and subsequently yesterday as well was probably the worst I’ve ever seen in a lifetime of watching basketball. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce took uncontested shot after uncontested shot Friday night, en route to leading Boston to shooting 51% as a team and 58% from 3-point land. And Rajon Rondo was laying the ball in just about every time you looked up. Rondo pretty much held his own Boston marathon in The Garden the way he ran up and down the court. Toney Douglas didn’t stop the ball one single time in transition, or jump in front of Rondo to take a charge.
So what happens now? Will Donnie Walsh be back? Will Mike D’Antoni be back? Do they pick up Chauncey’s option? What pieces do they put around Amar’e and ‘Melo? They need to start figuring that out sooner rather than later.
I think Donnie will be back. Walsh should be given credit for acquiring 3 stars (yes, Chauncey is a star) while getting the Knicks under the cap. He deserves credit for that and should be brought back. It’s just a matter of if he wants to come back. Walsh is 70 and his health was the reason we heard Isiah’s name rumored earlier in the season to take over the GM role. But waiting in the wings appears to be Allan Houston to assume that post whenever that may be.
I don’t think D’Antoni will be fired (although it’s clear he isn’t the man for the job) because I believe they’ll give him a full year to coach this new team. If that fails, then we’ll never seem him coach in the league again. I guarantee it. His lack of a defensive mindset in his coaching tactics was magnified in New York where the team finished near the top in offense, but almost dead last in defense. It really showed his deficiencies as a coach and the league took notice I’m sure. They’ll pick up the option on Chauncey for next season, but will sign Chris Paul the Summer of 2012. And they will add size in the middle and defense on the perimeter.
Although the year ended with a resounding thud, the home fans gave the Knicks a standing ovation during the final seconds of yesterday’s loss. I applaud them as well. Not for their effort over the weekend, but for a winning season and for providing relevancy to New York basketball. There hasn’t been this much talent on the roster in a very long time, so there’s no where to go from here but up. We’ll see what next year brings.
Feel free to reach out to me to talk Knicks if you need your fix between now and the start of next season.
If you’re looking for your everyday, predictable basketball talk, then go somewhere else, because Kevin Burke of The Kevin Burke Project brings provocative, thought provoking content about basketball as only he can. Kevin also hosts The Hoop Doctors weekly podcast show, which you can subscribe to for free on iTunes. Follow Kevin on Twitter and Facebook
