The good, the bad, and the Knicks

When the NBA season began, many people believed that the New York Knicks could make a run in the playoffs. With the offseason additions they made, acquiring former Bulls guard Derrick Rose, guard Courtney Lee, and center Joakim Noah, many believed these were the additions the Knicks needed to propel them to a playoff worthy team. Not to mention they have the Zen Master in phil jackson, and proven players like Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis. Fans were excited to see the Knicks in action, but it only led to sorrow, as the Knicks are the laughing stock of the NBA.

The sad case of the Knicks

So how bad are the Knicks exactly? I'm glad you asked. The Knicks are an abysmal 22-32 this season, which puts them ranked 12th in the eastern conference. They have a record of 6-19 since Christmas day, which is downright awful. One of the Knicks many problems is depth. The Knicks are literally 6-men deep, and after that it'll be hard to find some of their role players names on Google. Their bench players are unproven young talent that need lots of development, or vets who just want to keep playing to earn that veteran minimum contract.

They key to a good team is depth beyond the starters and the Knicks certainly don't have that. Not to be rude, but who has heard of this player?

This is the question many people ask when a Knick bench player checks into the game. Coach Jeff Hornacek is trying to run his own ship as head coach, but it seems like Phil Jackson wants to coach, but doesn't want to coach. He insist on his famous triangle offense, which has worked in the past with greats like MJ and Kobe, but the game was much different back then.

Many Knicks players aren't players you think of when trying to run a triangle offense, but Phil is determined to make it work. But even so, they Knicks are not playing with any continuity or trust at all. Most of their possessions are one pass, two at most, and waiting for the player with the ball to make a play. The Knicks have the talent to be a better team, but lack of bench talent, trust, and offensive efficiency is what is holding the down.

Trade rumors, and Phil Jackson

The Knicks have had as many problems off the court as they've had on the court. I would tell you where to start but there are so many issues that I couldn't even tell you that. It started in the offseason where Derrick Rose was involved in a rape lawsuit and had to miss some preseason games to make sure he made his court dates. His absences were excused there, but he had an unexcused absence Monday, January 9, when he didn't show up to their game against the Pelicans, and didn't even let anyone know. This raises the question if his time on New York was over. He is still on the team as you can see, but don't be surprised if the Knicks move him.

The biggest storyline for the Knicks is the battle between Phil Jackson and Carmelo Anthony.

There were reports that the Knicks offered Anthony for Cavaliers forward Kevin Love, but the Cavs didn't bite. Carmelo has a no trade clause, meaning if he doesn't approve of the trade, he can't be traded. This puts Jackson in a hole because he wants Anthony gone. He has been the one to call Anthony a "ball hog" and trying to criticize him any chance he gets. Carmelo has taken the high road, focusing on playing ball and helping his team win. Many have had their say on the Knicks, Stephen A. Smith letting it be known he is disgusted by Phil Jackson's performance, loyal fan Spike lee saying he would like to see Jackson go, and Charles Oakley. Charles Oakley was ejected from Wednesday night's game against the Clippers after getting into an altercation with security.

He has been critical of Chairperson James Dolan and the state of the Knicks and it seemed to just boil over tonight.

The recent Oakley situation just symbolizes the season for the Knicks. Simply frustrating. I'm not sure how you fix a situation like this, and it seems like Phil Jackson doesn't either. This is truly a game of wait and see.