Are the Knicks tanking?

Today, the Knicks starting point guard, Alec Burks, had as many assists as I did. Zero.

Again, in the fourth quarter the Knicks fell apart because there was no one running the ship. I was hoping that Raymond Felton would run out of the stands in his t-shirt, gut and all.

At least Raymond would demand that players are in position and running the sets that the coach knows give the team the best chance to win.

Despite being under powered facing a team with Joel Embiid and James Harden the Knicks kept the game close for three quarters.

But hasn't that been the memo of this team all season?

They have to lead the league in close but no cigar games in the NBA this season.

When will this coach learn that in the fourth quarter Julius Randle is reckless at handling the ball and inefficient from the field?

RJ Barrett was not accurate from the three-point line, but the fourth quarter would be a perfect time to run a two-man game with RJ and a solid point for easy buckets at the rim and mid-range shots.

Julius Randle should be a threat in the paint in the fourth quarter even if it means playing him at center if it forces him to get his rear end in the paint and not thinking about beating guys off the dribble or shooting terrible jump shots.

I mean for goodness' sake the Knicks can't bring up Jordan Allen or Kenneth Savage from the G league to give them a look? Either one would be better than Alec Burks who started at point guard this afternoon and had zero assists. 

Yes, it has gotten that bad with Kemba gone and D Rose injured. 

Are the Knicks tanking? I have a feeling they are. 

If tanking will get them a point guard high in the next draft and a good chance for the morbidly obese Zion Williamson, then this might be the best strategic move they made all season.

Knicks lose again, Sixers 125 - Knicks 109.

No love on Valentine's Day for Knicks fans.

Let me tell you, this was one delicious loss to watch last night. Knicks fans, do you still think the Nets are worse off than you?

Last night, a 19-year-old rookie came into the Garden and waxed the Knicks with a triple double. Josh Giddey had 28 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds as the OKC Thunder went on the beat the Knicks in overtime by the score of 127 - 123.

In fairness, the Knicks stayed close enough to take the game into overtime but only because they had a huge lead going into the fourth quarter which melted away because there is no point guard to control the offense in crunch time. 

It is hard continuing to be upset with Julius Randle. Knicks fans, it was your coach who had Randle mishandling the ball during the last minutes of regulation.

Coach Thibodeau had an entire season to prepare one of the young guards for moments like the end of the fourth quarter and he failed. 

The coach likes to play vets because he simply doesn't know how to teach young players. He counts on vets, even broken-down ones, to carry out his plays. With extraordinarily little success this season.

Do you think it is an accident that Josh Gibson is playing, and Obi Toppin is not?

OKC struggled all season to score one hundred points, except when they played the Knicks. 

If the Thunder is considered a G League team what then are the Knicks who have been swept by OKC this season? 

It means the Knicks suck harder than a G League team.

No love on Valentine's Day for Knicks fans. Knicks lose again, OKC 127 - 123 Knicks.

Your team is a disgrace

So Knicks fans, you still think your team is better off than the Nets? LOL Stop lying to yourselves, your team is a disgrace.

This is your team now, dominate every night

 

The Knicks went into the colosseum against the Lakers guns blazing in the first half. Julius was aggressive and RJ Barrett was channeling Tracy McGrady.

This only lasted a half, however. In the third quarter the Knicks completely collapsed.

It was as if they had their memories wiped at halftime and completely forgot how they dominated the Lakers in the first two quarters.

Maybe at the half the players, including Julius Randle, were able to get access to their phones and allowed all the trade rumors to get to them. I have no idea.

But I do know that the Knicks let Malik Monk play like he was the second coming of Michael Jordan as he almost single-handedly cleared the Knicks lead over Los Angeles.

During the Lakers big third quarter coach Thibodeaux made zero changes to try to cool Los Angeles off. This guy may not be the coach this team needs.

Barrett fought hard in the final period and was able to snatch victory from the Lakers at the end of the fourth quarter and took the game into overtime.

Unfortunately, RJ had very little help in OT and the Knicks fell in defeat to the Lakers.

It is time for RJ to realize that this is his team now. He cannot limit himself to only taking three shots in the third quarter.

When RJ decides to take the game over few teams can stop him it is time that he stops holding himself back acquiescing to Randle.

I hope that at the end of the game when LeBron hugged Barrett and gave him some words of encouragement that some of those words were 'This is your team now, dominate every night'. 

Get RJ a real point guard, let Randle move on to another team and find a center that can score a little and this team changes into a real competitor.

pic.twitter.com/v2YcEkmcMm

— The Knicks Wall (@TheKnicksWall) February 6, 2022

Knicks lose again, Lakers 122 - Knicks 115.

This team needs more than energy and hype

 

Despite Julius Randle only getting 13 points and playing like Tony Randall, Obi Toppin for some reason only known by the coach only played 9 minutes and contributed zero points.

The Knicks played as if they were utterly bored and waiting for the Celtics killer, Evan Fournier to come in and save the day forgetting that Evan was a scratch for the game.

The Celtics beat the Knicks by 24 points and the way it felt in the second half it wasn't even that close.

After the game Knicks fans online continued to stamp their little feet complaining that Obi didn't get enough minutes to prove why they still feel he is a better option than Julius.

The fact is, Obi has neither the offensive game nor the confidence to come in and take over when the team needs more than energy and hype.

Stop blaming it on the coach Knicks fans. At some point the players must find an identity amongst themselves to go out on the court and play like a bunch of fucking wild dogs.

Obi, RJ and Randle must become a bunch of killers if they want to gain respect and make the playoffs.

To hell with what the fans say, to hell with being friends with everyone in the league, this team must snap out of playing like a bunch of pussies comfortable with being the doormat of the Eastern conference.

Knicks fans, until this bunch of guys accept the fact that their failure begins and ends with all their excuses for why they can't win they will just be a pile of hot steaming crap.

Knicks lose again, Celtics 99 - 75 Knicks.

The glaring weakness; a lack of development of the youth

The Knicks faced the Toronto Raptors today in Toronto to an empty arena. It seems that the new variant spread was enough scare the city of Toronto into banning fans whether vaccinated or not.

I don't know if the lack of fans threw the Knicks players off but it was interesting to hear how loud Toronto's shots were as they pulled away from the Knicks to eventually win the game.

11 points collective from Miles McBride and Immanuel Quickley was the margin of loss and shows that neither guy is better than Rose or Kemba Walker at this time in their careers.

Obi Toppin was able to redeem himself from his last 5 point effort. Today, he got 19 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists filling the void of the missing Julius Randle.

Unfortunately, the Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet complete destroyed the Knicks back court this afternoon with 35 points,5 assists and 5 rebounds.

The glaring weakness of the Knicks is a lack of development of the youth.

Why in year three RJ Barrett still only going to his left? Why is Quickley still making situational mistakes at the point just setting up the offense? Why is Julius still not understanding when to not switch and stay with his man on defense?

I don't think the team has the right coach to develop young players to be solid role guys for the future. Thibs is best with a group of veterans and that is not this team. 

Knicks lose again, Raptors 120 - 105 Knicks.

Honestly, I didn't watch this game

Honestly, I didn't watch this game so I can't comment on how the Knicks lost but they suck so I knew they'd lose.

Julius Randle didn't play but I see that Obi Toppin got a woppin' 5 points total. I guess Knicks fans are right, they can trade Julius now. 

The New York Post reported that Kemba Walker was a scratch due to his knee not feeling right before the game. That's not going to help his trade value.

Knicks lose again, Thunder 95 - 80 Knicks

Randle is not a star Thibs, for your own longevity, stop coaching as if he is.

If no other game this season showed you what is wrong with the Knicks last night had to have sealed the deal.

Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier were aggressive last night against the Celtics and the offense ran extremely well.

When Walker, 29 points, and Fournier, 32 points, played as if Randle wasn't on the floor in the 3rd quarter the Knicks 41 point quarter was the highest of the season.

In the fourth quarter, when Randle and Coach Thibodeaux ran the offense as if Julius is a super star who has to close out the game the Knicks fell apart and again New York handed a victory to a team which it should have easily beaten.

After the game Kemba Walker was asked if he wanted to stay in New York he did not say he does, he stated that he wants to play. Walker clearly put the coach and Knicks management on notice, play me or trade me. 

Walker has no allegiance to this organization anymore if he ever had any since he was banished to the hinterlands by coach Thibs.

And now we know why Thibs benched Walker. In Thib's mind Randle is the star and if anyone can't play well with him then he doesn't exist. Fournier makes too much money for such a banishment so Kemba was made the example.

This coach has hitched his wagon to Randle and it is going to be the very reason why he loses his job here. Randle is not a star Thibs, for your own longevity, stop coaching as if he is.

Knicks lose again, Celtics 114 - 107 Knicks.

It's not bad in MSG, it's really bad

Quentin Grimes set the Knicks rookie record for three point shots in a game with 7. Grimes finished the game leading all Knicks scorers with 27 points.

It was all for naught however because the Knicks got their asses kicked by the Bucks this afternoon as Giannis registered his first triple double of the season.

If the season ended today the Knicks would not be in the playoffs and I have a feeling it'll be the same when the season ends.

It's not bad in MSG, it's really bad and it is not going to get any better.

A younger more forward thinking coach would focus on developing Sims, Grimes, Quickley, Toppin and Barrett. Preparing them either to be the cornerstones of this franchise or solid desirable pieces for superstar trades in the near future.

In order to do that the coach of the year would have to shift his paradigm and I don't think it's going to happen with this old dog.

Knicks lose again, Bucks 112 - 97 Knicks.

This is your franchise superstar?

Fans will argue that Julius Randle had no help last night. He carried the team and no one came to his rescue.

The fact is Randle could have helped himself by making free throws and not turning the ball over.

This is your franchise superstar and that's it? 

DeMar DeRozan was another guard in a long line this season that abused the Knicks back court for 34 points. 

When will this city stop excusing the poor fourth quarter execution just because they lost a close game. Close only counts in horseshoes fans.

"We almost beat two good teams!", you hear the fans cry. Except there is no "Almost" column in the box score. You either Win or Lose.

No more moral victories Knicks fans. You can't on one hand say you played tough then make arguments about being underhanded when you lose. Every team has injuries and guys out. No one is shedding a single tear.

Randle finished the game with 30 points and 6 assists but he also had seven critical turnovers. He giveth and he taketh away.

The rest of the team was no help and it was evident from the first half when the Knicks were completely out hustled by Chicago.

The Knicks plainly do not know how to play together and all that falls on the coach.

1-4 in the last five games, .500 and still you argue that they are a respectable team. Oh really?

Knicks lose again Chicago 119 - 115 Knicks.

Julius Randle, you will never be That Guy.

My favorite thing to do these days is visiting Knicks fans pregame shows on YouTube. Boy you should have heard them last night. They were hilarious.💀

They ranged from cautiously optimistic to a bunch of drunks stuck in the 90's with championship fantasies.

Then the game began and at courtside was none other than Spike Lee in his Fedora and pink clown suit. The Knicks fans will make you bust a gut if you let them.

I am not going to give the Knicks any credit for their effort last night just because the score was close and as Stephen A Smith pointed out the stands were full of Knicks fans.

Y'all can come to Brooklyn Stephen A, we'll take your money then whoop you. That's how we do in Brooklyn, ain't nothing new. 

The Nets toyed with the Knicks until halftime then as the third quarter began Durant put the spanking on the Knicks starters to show them who their new daddy is.

Yes the score  was close in the final seconds however I was never in doubt that the Nets would not win with the Slim Reaper on the floor. 

The Knicks resorted to fouling and Julius Randle acting like a big damn baby because the refs didn't give him star treatment.

Julius, at the end of the game there were two future hall of famers on the floor who get the benefit of the doubt and neither of them was wearing a Knicks jersey.

NYC better hope the Knicks don't represent them, or they too are a bunch of losers. Julius Randle, you will never be That Guy.

Knicks lose again, Nets 112 - 110 Knicks

Playing in Madison Square Garden is just what every scrub in the league needs.

 

Knicks fans don't start all your whining about how the team should never have given Julius Randle an extension. You same people were chanting "MVP" after every big shot Randle made last season.

This is the same Julius Randle that everyone praised for working so hard to improve his game and his desire be here.

There will be no Randle trades and coach Thibodeaux will not be fired.

To hear it from you guys the Knicks were not only the best team in the city but were on the cusp of making a run for the NBA title. What had happened?

Do you now realize how crazy you all sounded?

The Knicks are not driving you guys crazy. You are doing that to yourselves.

The Knicks last season was comprised of mediocre talent whose defensive hustle allowed them to fight above their weight. But this was never really a good team.

Signing broken down old point guards and allowing underappreciated defensive talent to walk was clearly a recipe of disaster. You guys had to know this. Stop acting surprised that you guys were going to be lucky if the Knicks made the playoffs this season.

The bar was set so low for this franchise that the stubborn unimaginative Thibodeaux actually won coach of the year last season.

Again, a guy came off the bench for the Magic and had his best night. Terrence Ross who normally averages 10 points per game had 19 points, 2 assists and 2 rebounds.

Playing the Knicks in Madison Square Garden is just what every scrub in the league needs to gain his confidence, have a career night and carry his team to victory.

The Knicks are the gift that keeps on giving. 

Knicks Lose Again, Magic 104 - 98 Knicks.

I was 100 percent correct.

Do I really need to recap this one? I don't think so. I told you what was going to happen before the game in the previous post and I was 100 percent correct.

If you were smart you would have taken my wise words and made some money Knicks fans instead of just being salty over the truth.

Knicks Lose Again, Charlotte 104 - 96 Knicks.