What a shocker: the Knicks suck. The New York Knicks have failed to live up to expectations once again as they have yet to get going this season with them currently sitting in 11th place in the East on a 10-13 record.
No matter how many times the New York Knicks are hyped up in the media world and by their fanbase, the team always (and I mean always) finds a way to fail in dramatic fashion. And this season is no different.
Sure, they were never considered to be one of the best four teams in the league, but they still should be so much better than they have been this season. Not only did they have the chance to acquire both Jalen Brunson and Donovan Mitchell, but they also could have done it relatively cheaply. Brunson was a free agent acquisition while Mitchell could have been traded for from the Utah Jazz for only a few prospects and three 1st-round draft picks.
Again, yes, that is a lot for most teams, but the Knicks have been rolling in salary cap cash and they have stocked pilled dozens of 1st-round picks for the upcoming ten or so years. They had more than enough assets to create a deadly Brunson-Mitchell backcourt duo that could have rivaled for a playoff spot.
Honestly, the Knicks could have had one of the best backcourts in the NBA, but James Dolan and the Knicks hierarchy chose the easy and safe path of staying mediocre. Again.
The Knicks really had a chance of building a championship contender for the next few seasons if they acquired Donvan Mitchell. As he has done in Cleveland thus far, he could have completely revamped the Knicks backcourt and established a legitimate scoring threat from beyond the arc. Plus, he would have also freed up rim coverage for the Knicks big men, such as forwards like R.J. Barrett and Julius Randle, to get some better looks and less attention by the rim.
It made perfect sense for the Knicks to go out and get Mitchell, but Nolan worked his dark magic to prevent his franchise’s fanbase even a modicum of happiness.
Nevertheless, that is ancient history now as the Knicks have struggled to score from beyond the arc with them currently sitting in dead last in the NBA in 3-point percentage (31.8%). And, to add insult to injury, Donovan Mitchell’s Cleveland Cavaliers are currently the 3rd best 3-point shooting team in the NBA with a scoring percentage of 38.5%.
Now, 3-point shooting percentage isn’t everything in the NBA, but this stat shows how much better this Knicks team could have been if they had a guy in the backcourt that could consistently score from beyond the arc and draw attention away from the rim.
They wouldn’t have lost to the Dallas Mavericks today by 21 points (121-101), and they wouldn’t be sitting in 11th place in the East with a bad record of 10-13. But, then again, James Dolan wouldn’t be the owner we all love if he allowed the Knicks to actually improve.
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