The New York Knicks 2016-17 NBA season has been almost a comedy of errors for the franchise. Derrick Rose never panned out after the team brought him in, President Phil Jackson has made it clear that Carmelo Anthony is no longer wanted, and now ESPN reports that Joakim Noah picked up a 20-game suspension for falling afoul of the NBA banned substance policy.
Joakim Noah's suspension
The news of the Joakim Noah NBA suspension came on Saturday but it won't start immediately. Noah has been out of action for the New York Knicks ever since undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery on Feb.
4. Because he is already out with an injury, the NBA suspension won't start until he is eligible and physically able to compete on the court. That means that the suspension won't even start until the 2017-18 season depending on his recovery timetable. If he is able to play when the postseason begins, it won't matter as the Knicks have no chance of making it to the NBA playoffs this season. While Noah is expected to miss the rest of the season, the Knicks will reevaluate him later in the week. Even if New York brings Noah back before he is ready to eliminate part of his suspension, there are only nine games left this season.
The New York Knicks future
The entire 2016-17 NBA season for the New York Knicks has been full of controversy.
The Joakim Noah suspension has been the least of their worries this year. Phil Jackson, who was brilliant as a head coach in Chicago and Los Angeles, winning numerous NBA titles has struggled to maintain control of his own team. Jackson has come out publicly against one of his star players in Carmelo Anthony. While Jackson has ripped into Anthony, the Knicks star has just kept playing and said that he feels that the Knicks are "his team," only a slight shot at the team president.
Jackson responded to an anti-Carmelo column by saying that he doesn't feel the player is a "winning star." There is also the problems with Derrick Rose, who has never regained his MVP play since suffering through injuries early in his career.