State of the New York Knicks

It’s been six years since the New York Knicks have had a winning record and unfortunately the 2019-2020 season seems to be following that pattern. As we near the halfway part of the NBA season, the Knicks currently have a 13-34 record and the hope of making the playoffs has completely vanished. Not only are the players having difficulty working together and securing wins, but the coaching staff is all out of sorts as well.

On December 6, 2019, the owner and mangers for the Knicks decided to fire head coach David Fizdale after a little less than two years. Fizdale was considered a scapegoat as he led the team last year to a losing record and was on track to do it again this season. Assistant coach Mike Miller was named the interim head coach for the remainder of the season with little hint as to whether or not he will be the official coach for the 2020-2021 season. The Knicks record since Miller took over is still at a losing record of 9-17. While Fizdale seemed like he was the main problem, clearly it is the players and the apparent “rebuilding” that the franchise is undertaking.

The Knicks team is full of young players who should be very successful in their future NBA career, but passed on how they’ve been playing together this season, it’s doubtful that many will see them as talent. RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, and Dennis Smith Jr. are just some of the few young star players on the team but working together is where they struggle. Mike Miller and David Fizdale alike have been very reluctant to give the young players their time on the court without vet players such as Taj Gibson and Marcus Morris. Very rarely have the final minutes of games been played with the younger players, but it isn’t because they aren’t talented enough to pull out a close win. Miller has chosen to leave in the veteran players for most of the game and never allowing the newbies to have the chance to bond as teammates. The issue with this is that theirs already been mentions of trading players like Morris and once their leader is gone, the younger players won’t be able to pick up the pieces so quickly. It’s frustrating for fans to support a team that once held greats such as Patrick Ewing, Walt Fraizer, and Bernard King, but is know the bottom of the pack almost every season. In order for the Knicks end this streak of being under .500 some serious changes should be made to the coaching staff and starting lineup, if fans want to see their team in the NBA Finals before the decade is over.