After beginning the season with a lot of hype, the New York Knicks have recently taken a turn for the worse before the start of the All-Star break. With a new head coach and some big names being added to the roster, no one would have expected that the Knicks would be 19-25 before then, going 3-7 in their last ten games. If the Knicks keep playing the game this way, it's going to be back to lottery land for them.
Promising start
Coming off of a blowout 117-88 loss in the season opener to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Knicks started to show some signs, going 8-7 around the time Thanksgiving rolled in.
With new faces on the team like point guard Derrick Rose and center Joakim Noah, both coming to the Big Apple from the Chicago Bulls, and more recognizable names like point guard Brandon Jennings, the Knicks seemed to be on the right track. After a 112-103 loss on Nov. 28 at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Knicks shined, going on a four game winning streak, before suffering another crushing blow in a rematch against the Cavaliers. The Knicks seemed to be on the way to having a better year than last year, as they improved to 16-13 before Christmas arrived, but the happiness that the Knicks organization was feeling from this would not last for very long.
Happiness halted
After an impressive 106-95 victory over the Orlando Magic on Dec.
22, they had a six game skid, including a nail-biting 105-104 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks that dropped them to 16-19. When the Knicks next game was a rematch against the Bucks, this time in Milwaukee, they got their revenge, beating them 116-111.
Other than the Knicks' bad performance on the court, there was some controversy that came as well.
On Jan. 9, before the team was to face the New Orleans Pelicans, Rose didn't show up for practice and he could not be reached or located. When team representatives went to his apartment, no one answered the door. The Knicks would lose that game 110-96, and afterwards, it would be discovered that Rose was alright, as he had flown to Chicago, his hometown, to be with his mother during a family emergency.
He didn't contact team officials because he wanted his personal space. As a result, Rose was fined an undisclosed amount and returned to action on the court shorty thereafter.
Hornacek on Derrick Rose: "Right now we don't have enough information to give you anything." #NYKvsNOP #Knicks
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) January 10, 2017
Another big story surrounding the Knicks so far this season is the debate on whether or not star small forward Carmelo Anthony should be traded. Frustrated by the teams' lack of success, team president Phil Jackson recently had a meeting with Anthony to determine his future with the organization. Anthony made it clear to Jackson and the media that he wants to stay in New York.
Anthony, who is currently signed to a five year, $124 million contract (which he signed in 2014), and can also waive the no-trade clause that was included in the deal. If it doesn't work out with the team, Anthony wouldn't mind being sent to another team.
What should be done
The Knicks season is currently hanging by a thread at the moment, due to some controversy surrounding a potential Anthony trade. If the team does decide to trade him, they would have to make it a fair deal, and in return, get a couple of decent players. As for their play, they have to improve their game on the Basketball court, and if they do so, they could end the season on a positive note -- and potentially even make the playoffs.
