The New York Knicks season appeared quite over on February 3, 2012. Then the Knicks were a lowly 8-15. Then, Linsanity struck and New York’s luck seemed to change, as the Knicks won seven straight. At 15-15 the basketball team appeared destined for a real run at the NBA playoffs and, as basketball fans in New York believe, championship bound. Now, it appears Knicks tickets might not be here come the postseason.
The team has dropped six straight, dropping to 18-24 and suddenly on the outside looking in. Coach Mike D’Antoni is going to be fired, much to the joy of fans at Madison Square Garden. Toney Douglas is on the trading block. What happened in a matter of less than a month?
Well, to begin with, Jeremy Lin’s European style is going to continue to flourish. He may not be posting 38 points again in 2012, but he is likely going to be putting up 16 points and 7 assists while swiping 2 or 3 assists a game. He will also be turning the basketball over at an astounding rate because despite his skill, Lin is far from the quickest guard in the game. This also means a league suddenly bursting with quick, talented point guards is going to provide enough competition to counter his offensive output.
Lin is not blame for the current losing streak. Rather a fan merely needs to compare the winning streak with the losing streak to understand the sudden fall from grace. The Knicks beat the Nets, Jazz, Wizards, Lakers, Timberwolves, Raptors, and Kings over the course of the winning streak. Only two of those teams were over .500 at the time. The Knicks lost to the Celtics, Mavericks, Spurs, Bucks, 76ers, and Bulls. Four of those five teams have records over .500 and the Bucks have usurped the Knicks as the number eight seed in the Eastern Conference.
Does this mean the Knicks are lottery bound? The New York Knicks still have Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire as offensive forces in the front court with Tyson Chandler in the box to protect the basket. Do not forget about Lin and Landry. Lin is more of a scoring point guard and Landry is just dangerous enough without a burning desire to lead the team in scoring, making him a perfect wing player in the starting lineup. Then there is J.R. Smith, an energetic sixth man. This is enough talent to beat the bottom half of the league and sneak into the postseason.