Amin Elhassan Details What Makes the Knicks Such a Dangerous Team
The New York Knicks may have stumbled in recent games, but the team is currently 10-5 in its last 15 games. This includes a nine-game winning streak. The team appears better suited to enter the playoffs with far more hope than last year.
The Knicks nearly swept the Cavaliers in the first round but fell to the Heat in the semifinals. This stumble was in large part due to too many "impulse" players. Amin Elhassan details this fact on 48 Minutes and reveals why everyone should look out for the Knicks this season.
"People need to recognize this Knicks team is legitimately good. You know, a year ago... earlier this season, I talked about this, but I started talking about this a year ago where the Knicks were had an internal civil war of ideologies. Right. On the one hand, you had the players that were thinking the game and playing the game based of IQ and decision-making. Then you had the other half of the locker room was impulse guys. And ultimately you can survive and be successful and thrive with an impulse guy. You can't do it and half your locker room is like that. And that's where they were. And we saw that last year in the playoffs when they lost the heat."
via Amin Elhassan, 48 Minutes
Elhassan is alluding to the fact that too many "impulse" players will lead to reactionary versus smarter play. Thinking about moves instead of just barreling into moves makes a world of difference, and that is why he believes they lost to the Heat in the semifinals.
"So what they've done quietly was reduce the impulse guys and increase the number of IQ guys. It starts with you going out and you sign Donte DiVincenzo in the off-season. And then you go get OG Anunoby."
via Amin Elhassan, 48 Minutes
OG Anunoby is the "thinking man's" player that the team desperately needs and one that can check the impulse guys a bit more. The Knicks can go on a much deeper run this time around, and they are knocking on the door of catching the Bucks and Cavaliers in the standings.
