Fixing the Knicks

We thought Carmelo Anthony would make the New York Knicks invincible, but obviously there still have some work to do. Here's what the Knicks need to do to make the next step. by Scott Simone

Growing up, basketball was my life. As such, I was an adamant NBA fan throughout the 90s. I remember those glory days like it was yesterday. And although I grew up a Chicago Bulls fan (how could you go against Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen?), I was well aware of my hometown New York Knicks and all their battles. Whether it was their brawls with the Bulls, Reggie Miller fighting with Spike en route to a killer performance, or Allan Houston’s game-winning floater to beat the Heat, the Knicks were always relevant in New York. Then, something happened (which may or not be a reference to Isiah Thomas) and the Knicks fell to the bottom of the bottom. 

And, throughout all that, I was under the delusion that New York was a basketball city, and Knicks fans were the most knowledgeable of the sports-world. But, especially after this year, I’ve come to realize how so very wrong I was about that. First, they called for superstar talent. But they didn’t want to give anything up for that talent. And after the trade, they expected immediate results, failing to realize that it takes time to build team chemistry. Then they say the Knicks need to play defense, while failing to realize Mike D’Antoni does not have that word in his vocabulary. And now that they’ve lost in the playoffs, Knicks fans are calling for all sorts of changes. So let’s take a look at what the Knicks really need to do in the off-season to take them closer to the promised land.

1.Fire D’Antoni.

This one is the simplest of them all. D’Antoni has never proved himself a winner as a coach. He is known for one thing and one thing only, offense. More specifically, a face-paced offense that looks to run, run, run. And, he does not know how to coach defensively. It has also become clear he does not know how to coach stars. Their playoff series with the Celtics showed this better than anything. In their first two games, they were a score away from winning. But failed execution down the stretch caused them to lose. D’Antoni failed to draw-up plays to utilize his players strengths. If the Knicks want a championship, start looking for a new coach.

2. Pick up a defensive-minded center.

Some fans are calling for another big star player like Dwight Howard to anchor the paint for the Knicks in the future. That’s just what they don’t need. The Knicks can score. That much is obvious. They don’t need another offensive minded star player that’s going to take touches away from Carmelo and Amar’e. They need a Kendrick Perkins like player. Someone who is hard nosed, can defend anyone down low, and who does not need to touch the ball every trip down the floor.

3. Drop the waste, but keep what they need.

The Knicks already resigned Billups, which is good for another year. But looking at their other players, they have a lot of waste to remove. Players like Balkman, Sheldon Williams, and Roger Mason should be dropped to make room for new acquisitions. But they should keep other role players like Jared Jeffries, Bill Walker, and Anthony Carter. In a poll for ESPN, though, 81% of responses said to drop Jeffries. Another reason I believe Knicks fans are dumber than they get credit for. Jeffries is a phenomenal defender. And while I believe he shouldn’t even be allowed on the offensive end of the floor, he belongs on the team. But this is where coaching also comes into play. Since he has the scoring capacity of a 3 year old, Jeffries should be setting off-the-ball screens. This creates the motion the Knicks need on offense, and takes him away from the ball, where he belongs.

4. Build team chemistry.

There may not be a secret recipe to build chemistry, but if there’s a way to do it, the Knicks need to do it. Team chemistry is often taken for granted. Teams like the Celtics win because they have such great chemistry. They know each other better, which cause them to pick each other up when needed. Down the stretch in games, the Knicks looked completely out of sync with one another. Movement stopped. No one knew who should take over. This is where chemistry is key. Maybe they need to hang out more together or a training camp will help, but regardless, work on chemistry.

5. Play defense.

It’s the old adage, defense wins championships. One of the reasons the Knicks were such a powerhouse in the 90s was because they were one of the toughest defenses in the league. They need to get that intensity on defense back, and that starts with getting a new coach. We all know the Knicks can score. They were atop the league in scoring all year. But, if your point differential is only one point a game (meaning they only score one point more than they give up, on average) it’s going to be tough to win anything.