Disclaimer:
- These are not the TOP five reasons why the Knicks don’t win.
- These are not the BOTTOM five reasons why the Knicks don’t win.
- These are certainly not the ONLY five reasons why the Knicks don’t win.
When you are in a prime location, the largest U.S. media market and an iconic venue in a basketball-hungry town, yet haven’t won a title in 44 years and have arguably done less in the 21st century than any franchise in the NBA excluding the relatively new (since 2005) Charlotte entry, there are more than five reasons why.
Consider the performances of just their Atlantic Division foes since Y2K:
- The Boston Celtics have won an NBA title, advanced to the league finals one other time, and reached the conference finals and semis three times each. And they’re better than the Knicks now.
- The Toronto Raptors have reached the conference finals once; the conference semis twice. And they’re better than the Knicks now.
- The Philadephia 76ers reached the league finals once and the conference semis twice, and are entering Year Five of a “process” that appears close to paying dividends.
- The New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets reached two consecutive NBA finals and four conference semis.
The Knicks reached the conference semis in 2013. In other words, they’ve won one playoff series since 2000.
League-wide, only the New Orleans Pelicans and the New York Knicks can claim but a single playoff series win since 2000.
But why? Here are some thoughts aside from the basic ones involving owner meddling, poor drafts and trades, salary cap issues, etc.
They Overpay For Free Agents While Bidding Against Themselves.
Imagine you’re at an auto auction. The bidding on a particular car starts at $100.00. Someone yells out a bid of $250.00. Then, some guy in a blue and orange leisure suit jumps up and bellows out, “$17 million!”
Sold.
That guy in the leisure suit is the Knicks.
It’s very difficult to root against a guy like Joakim Noah. A fantastic team player when healthy, he always gives full effort and does everything well except score. But over time, his all-out style of play has resulted in too many collisions with the still undefeated hardwood court. While hoping Noah can overcome his injuries, the Knicks are already trying to find ways to escape the contract they signed him to just last summer.
Noah is just one example. It has happened before; it happened again this summer.
It will happen again.
Madison Square Garden, The Entertainment Venue. Even On Game Night.
Hootie and the Blowfish. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band…
Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks.
Marquee names sell, particularly in New York City. (Remember when Jets’ fans demanded the team sign Brett Favre at age 39?) Entertainers pack the courtside seats at Madison Square Garden and box office names on the court help to justify the ticket prices there and at its concert cousins Radio City Music Hall and the Beacon Theatre.
The Knicks have proven on several occasions that they’ll gladly swap multiple, lesser-known assets for a more recognizable name, even if past his prime, injury-riddled, or a team chemistry-killer.
It hasn’t worked.
Incompatible Players/Player Duplication.
This actually started in the 20th century.
On May 10, 1988, the Knicks’ Mark Jackson, a point guard, wins the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. Just 49 days later on June 28, the Knicks used the 19th pick in the 1988 NBA Draft to select Rod Strickland, a point guard.
Both were good enough to play starter’s minutes, and a couple of uncomfortable years later Jackson and Strickland were both gone, and the 35-year-old Maurice Cheeks was running the show.
Fast forward to 2011. Free-agent signee Amar’e Stoudemire is playing at a near MVP-level, in February the Knicks trade multiple players and draft picks for Carmelo Anthony. Both are unquestionably future Hall-of-Famers, with Anthony being one of the most fluid scorers of our time when he’s on his game.
They did exactly the same things, and couldn’t (or wouldn’t) do exactly the same things.
As good as they are individually, those two had no business being on the court together as teammates.
Neither did eventual Hall of Famers Bob McAdoo and Spencer Haywood in the 1970’s.
Neither did Patrick Ewing and Bill Cartwright in the 1980’s.
Neither did Stephon Marbury and Steve Francis in 2004.
Neither did the entire Knicks’ roster for about the first ten years after the 2000 trade of Patrick Ewing.
They Don’t Value Draft Picks, Even When They Keep Them.
When you trade a first-round draft pick for Andrea Bargnani, you don’t value your picks.
When you trade three second-round picks in a trade to acquire a 38-year-old Marcus Camby, then include another two second-round picks a year later as part of a trade to get rid of him…you don’t value your picks.
In 2013, the Knicks drafted Tim Hardaway, Jr. , two years later he was dealt for rookie Jerian Grant, who was traded the very next year as part of the deal to get Derrick Rose (who also lasted a year).
Iman Shumpert spent four Knick seasons being injury-riddled, trade-rumored, miscast as a point guard, and getting blamed for missing teammates’ defensive rotations before being traded to the Cavs.
Solid vets Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler were dealt to Denver as part of the Carmelo Anthony trade.
Trevor Ariza was traded as a youngster for Steve Francis and his injured knee, when the Knicks already had Stephon Marbury. The Walt Frazier – Earl Monroe comparisons ended as quickly as they began.
Channing Frye made the All-Rookie team in 2005; two years later he was traded along with Steve Francis for Zach Randolph.
The Knicks also drafted Nene, then promptly traded him – along with Mark Jackson and Marcus Camby – for Antonio McDyess, who was coming off serious knee surgery. He never regained his form.
Their two most recent first-rounders, Kristaps Porzingis and Frank Ntilikina, have already been mentioned in trade rumors. Ntilikina hasn’t stepped on an NBA court yet.
The Building (Madison Square Garden) Is Sold Out Every Game Night.
Of all the reasons why the Knicks don’t win, this might be the most important one.
The Knicks have some of the most loyal fans in the league. When the Knicks are rolling, the entire city embraces them. There’s no Mets/Yankees or Jets/Giants or Rangers/Islanders split between local fans. The Knicks still own this basketball town while the Nets are trying to build a fan base within the five boroughs.
Many of the most loyal Knicks’ fans have been nudged aside by the most expensive ticket pricing in the NBA and replaced by corporations and – thanks to broadening of the sport – tourists who have a trip to a basketball game at MSG near the top of their “to do” list when they visit New York City.
So sellouts on game nights are almost guaranteed, even during the recent four-year playoff drought and in spite of nearly two decades of mediocre-to-bad basketball; it doesn’t even matter if the competition is the main attraction. So instead of the deep-pocketed owner spending money to win, he can merely spend money to make more money with big-ticket items (on and off the court), renovations, etc.
There’s little incentive to assemble a roster of compatible players or show the patience to develop young ones when the money’s pouring in, anyway.
On the bright side, they have – at least so far – held onto their draft picks going forward. Should they draft well and develop their young players – and history is not on their side in either case – there’s hope of building a foundation.
Otherwise, only a very unlikely fan mutiny, change of ownership or an extended period of sustained winning by their Brooklyn neighbors will likely compel a change in philosophy.
It’s a shame, because the city is ready to pounce.
