© Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Three Theories: Why Knicks Can't Get Any Respect
The New York Knicks are fresh off one of their most challenging yet successful seasons in recent memory, but not everyone's a believer.
Like Rodney Dangerfield before them, it appears that the New York Knicks can't get any respect.
The star-crossed Knicks ended this season on a five-game winning streak, posted a winning record without the familiar comforts of a three-time All-Star, established the fact they have one of the league's most dominant rising talents, and rose to the second seed on the Eastern Conference playoff bracket. What stands as the most potent men's metropolitan basketball championship threat is set to begin its epic quest on Saturday night when the Philadelphia 76ers visit Madison Square Garden (6 p.m. ET, MSG/ESPN).
For years on end, the star-crossed Knicks franchise has been scolded for coasting purely on metropolitan reputation, a concept that inched closer toward mythical status as they continued to miss out on marquee free agents. Insted, the Knicks cashed in on the trope that the power to succeed was within them all along, or at least in the grasp of head coach Tom Thibodeau.
The Knicks have continued to win games over the last two seasons despite frequent roster turnover (personified in the wake of immediate winning streaks upon acquiring Josh Hart and OG Anunoby). Depth stars like Hart, Precious Aciuwa, Donte DiVincenzo, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Miles McBride have broken through the ironclad nine-man rotation to become indispensable assets. Little more, of course, needs to be written about the impact of Jalen Brunson, who has undoubtedly become the face of the franchise.
What do the Knicks get for their trouble? Doubt.
Jan 5, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) drives
Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports
"I can’t believe New York decided to win that last game," an anonymous NBA executive told Sam Amick and Josh Robbins in a playoff preview from The Athletic, referring to the Knicks' 120-119 overtime victory over Chicago to close the regular season. "“The Basketball Gods, this and that, but do you really want to face a fully healthy Philly team? Probably not ... I’ll go Sixers in seven. New York is going to be playing tired, playing the way they’re playing."
"Joel (Embiid) took over every play down the stretch vs. the Miami Heat ... the Miami Heat in which we know ... probably would beat the Knicks too," eliminated Golden State Warriors champion Draymond Green said, professing his faith in both of the East's Play-In entrants. "I've got Philly for sure. Nobody's stopping Joel."
The list of doubters carries plenty of notable names, such as TNT analysts Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal and even a prime member of the competition: 76ers depth star Paul Reed credited an "easier matchup" against the Knicks as a motivating factor for Wednesday's Play-In win over Miami. All that and more is despite the Knicks not only holding a 3-1 season series advantage over Philadelphia but crushing the Sixers by 36 in the one time the mighty Embiid played this season (not to mention Brunson's equalizing talents).
In the doubters' defense, the Knicks' futility has proven historic, as ending a drought of conference final appearances (23 years) has proven sufficiently challenging, much less hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy that has been elusive for over five decades.
Yet, there's no denying that the modern Knicks have gotten a drastically raw deal in the early postseason proceedings: Thibodeau couldn't even muster a mere vote of the NBA Coach's Association's yearly award (though JB Bickerstaff, whose decision to rest numerous Cleveland Cavaliers partly allowed the Knicks to take over the No. 2 seed, did) while Brunson was left off the United States men's basketball squad set to compete in the Paris Olympics despite standing as the leading American scorer this season. DiVincenzo somehow played 81 games this season and somehow wasn't mathematically eligible for individual honors such as Most Improved Player.
So why does everybody hate Chris ... Rock's favorite team?
Feb 26, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) celebrates with
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
No Villain
Professional basketball is a sport built on classy villainy, similar to way one almost rooted to see Wilson Fisk, Hannibal Lecter, or Count "Darth Tyranus" Dooku get away with their crimes. The dueling GOATs of the sport (Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Diana Taurasi) didn't win their way to the top by being nice, as few, if any, of the hardwood's finest have ever been universally loved.
That's not to say that the Knicks should resort to full-on bullyball if they're looking to invade the NBA penthouse ... it's certainly not the 1980s anymore. But the Knicks, to their otherwise credit, have made it difficult for anyone beyond a rival of Villanova University to detest them on a broader level.
Sweet as a playoff run powered by friendship may be (no one in New York can stop talking about the Wildcat litter of Brunson, DiVincenzo, and Hart), a unified front (perhaps similar to the Tim Duncan-led groups in the San Antonio Spurs' heyday) makes it difficult to develop unique personalities that come up big when voting for individual awards. Brunson, the undisputed ringleader of this dozen of destiny, has proven to be a humble superstar, refusing to let his stats do the talking in the face of defeat, for example.
Simply put, it's easier to hate/respect one man Wes Mantooth-style than it is an entire team. The Knicks are simply learning that the hard way.
Save Room for Later
Beyond the unfortunate but all-too-real cases of Tim Donaghy and Jontay Porter, there's no evidence of professional wrestling-styled match fixing in the NBA. Having said that, the NBA is nonetheless a narrative-driven league, one where certain headlines may have to wait their turn, so to speak.
Brunson, by every stretch, should've been a shoo-in for an Olympic invite, but the doubting defenders could raise issues such as LeBron James' international farewell tour, Tyrese Haliburton's emergence, and the Boston Celtics' continued Eatern Conference (regular season) monopoly as reasons to keep him off for the time being. Thibodeau should have "Coach of the Year" locked up if it really means Coach of the Year but sweeter, more modern storyline (i.e. Mark Daigneault's ahead-of-schedule performance in Oklahoma City) will hog the active spotlight.
The Knicks are also, in a way, being punished for not fostering a basketball team in the supposedly "right" fashion, continuing to harvest and stash draft picks while taking in the actual selections. The Knicks have mostly eschewed the endangered idea that supposed superteams are the way to go about championship business, at least on the NBA level (look at how Phoenix barely avoided Play-In purgatory). Instead, the Knicks have been mostly sustained by career-best performances in an era where some voters could instead look to reward returning, sustainable effort.
May 16, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) drives past
Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
What Have You Done For Me Lately?
Whether it's fair or not, Brunson and Co. will have to pay for the sins of their predecessors until they pave their own championship path. True to their stoic, if not polite, nature, the Knicks have mostly shown an indifferent attitude to the franchise's rollercoaster history, seeking only to control what they can control.
To, again, be fair to the doubters, plenty of false prophets have preached in Manhattan: some of their soapboxes came in front office, where Phil Jackson and Donnie Walsh previously stood, while others came on the floor: the Knicks closed the book on RJ Barrett's redemption story, deeming it no long worthy of be written in Manhattan while it felt like three equivalents of Kemba Walker previously held Brunson's spot at backcourt savior before he took over.
Even the supposed glory days of the new century (before last season, many young Knicks' fans fondest memory of the team was probably a Carmelo Anthony regular season accomplishment) quickly sour if one does a little research into their respective aftermaths. Part of this is no doubt partially brought about by the "How many rings does he have?" conversation that came to relentlessly serve as the defining factor in one-on-one battles among amateur and professional conversers alike, as the Knicks two-title championship haul became somewhat glaring in hindsight.
The supposed Knicks tax takes many forms: the inflated expectations warmly embraced by Brunson and others are one thing, but it ensures that every move you make in a blue-and-orange uniform is either scrutinized to no end or used as meme material by hardwood court jesters. Doubt is at least somewhat deserve ... but don't Brunson and his cohorts deserve some sort of credit for lighting the end of the tunnel?
