Taking Stock of the Knicks Winter 2014 Part One

Taking Losing Seriously

With a record of 5 and 22, we are almost a third of the way through the season.  The record speaks for itself but yet does not tell the whole story.  This season represents a clash of conflicting expectations and interests.

The only team worse than NY is Philadelphia which arguably is strictly a proxy set of NBA bodies who entire purpose this season is to do little more than show up and look as if they're playing a game.  If we list the bottom ten teams jockeying or soon-to-be jockeying for draft position we have, PHI, NY, DET, Minn, Utah, CHAR, LAL, IND,Boston, and ORL.  A mere 5 win difference exists between the Knicks at 5 wins and Orlando at 10.  And Brooklyn may join the race down.  All of which is to say that the Knicks need to take losing seriously if they are in fact trying to take advantage of their draft pick.

The Passive/Aggressive Paradox

This necessity to leverage what is looking to be a lost season toward the wishful reward of landing a top draft pick is paradoxical.  Both Jackson and Fisher have publicly taken the outspoken position that the Knicks are trying to establish a culture of winning and restoring a degree of pride and integrity in the organization.  Preseason optimism included the desire to make the playoffs - something that might require over 37 wins.  With 55 games left, that possibility seems distant and unlikely - not impossible - but requiring an immediate and sustainable Cinderfella-like turnabout.

While some degree of adjustment to a new coach and a new system was expected to make the early going a bit rocky, no one predicted such a total inability to win games.  Nor did anyone expect the individual players to all play so poorly.  Statistically, Carmelo Anthony and Stoudemire appear to be having good career years, the losing record and the dysfunction of team play do nothing to add veracity to their numeric accomplishments.

All of this makes visible a disconnect on the part of Jackson, Fisher, Melo, and Stoudemire all of whom continue to seemingly advocate winning games.  This is professional and admirable but as we've pointed out, counterproductive.  Winning dampens the opportunity for a higher draft pick.

To complicate matters, in a recent press conference Phil Jackson indicated that he was not about to trade players for the sake of making a trade nor were trade opportunities "jumping out" at the Knicks.

This presents a troubling trajectory and indicates that Jackson either has an irrational belief that the Knicks as constituted can turn the season around and win with purpose (say, to make the playoffs) or more cynically, that these players are largely placeholders to be replaced at season's end with better or at least newer talent. It's perfectly understandable if the players on the bubble might be getting nervous.

Losing with Dignity

To cut to the chase, it seems to me that the best recourse is to accept the failure of this campaign to win games and to leverage the act of losing toward securing the best draft pick possible.  Rather than debate who that player might be, let's assume it's the best player available  when the draft is held.

Once a decision like this is reached then a number of steps need to be exercised to minimize the collateral damage to professional reputations of the coaches, players, and staff.  After all, to maintain a season long pretense that the team is trying to win not only wears on the team's staff, it damages credibility and goodwill.

Let's examine some strategies for a graceful descent into the lottery.

Honoring the True Believers

Amar'e Stoudemire has proven he can still play, play hard, and big minutes.  He is also a warrior trying to win every game.  If losing is the intention then Amar'e needs to be moved.  But that isn't easy. His salary if allowed to expire represents mythically valuable cap space for free agent signings. At the same time, it is cruel and unnecessary to have him waste whatever he has left in the tank on an exercise in futility.

He deserves better.  IMO, the Knicks should release him soon enough to catch on with a contender.

He's untradable because of the size of his contract, not because of talent or the size of his heart.  The Knicks could open up a roster spot and create some goodwill by letting STAT compete for a ring.