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The New York Knicks: The NBA’s Black Hole By Chase Kuech
10.25.2008 - Updated on 10.25.2008
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Remember when Eddy Curry was a top 5 pick and the future of the Chicago franchise? Remember when Quentin Richardson was part of the big 3 in Los Angeles, destined to bring the Clippers to fame? Remember when Zach Randolph was going to be a monstrous presence inside? Remember when Steve Francis and Stephon Marbury were huge superstars in the league? I’m not sure anyone else does either...it seems like great players have gone to the Knicks in recent years and become has-beens and forgotten stars. Many people would blame Isaiah Thomas for most everything involving the downfall in New York, but there are a lot of factors that have gone into this fall from grace. For a team that has only been to the playoffs twice in the new millenium and lost in the first round both times, obviously there’s more to it than a coach who fans quickly turned on.
Some of the problem is that New York is just generally a difficult city to play in, for any sport. Brett Favre and Eli Manning face a ton of criticism in the NFL. The New York Rangers are held to the highest expectations every year in the NHL. The Yankees aren’t allowed to lose more than 10 games a year. New York is a massively difficult city to play in. Especially for stars. Part of the reason the Knicks have not been good is because they pay a ton of money to bring in players they assume are good, and then absolutely crucify them the second they do anything wrong. Stephon Marbury has actually been a pretty good player in the past few years, but because he is in New York, expectations and pay are way too high to allow him to play his game. Last year was a tough year for him due to injury, but his stats and minutes still were not terrible. He has always averaged double digits in points as a Knick.
Injuries and off-the-court issues also seem to multiply in New York. It is difficult to escape the spotlight when players are under a microscope. Players force themselves to play hurt to earn their money or use a little bit of pain as an excuse for not playing well. There is of course plenty of opportunity in New York to find yourself in trouble, going to bars or spending time with famous stars from other walks of life. The problem of course with that is the New York media is everywhere, so if you slip, you are in a world of trouble.
So what has changed New York from the place that made people like Pat Riley and Patrick Ewing hall of famers to a place that has destroyed the career of so many young stars? Is it simply the pressure of the New York Media, or the bad luck of constant injuries? Maybe it’s the ridiculous price tag that so many players come into town with. And of course high expectations come with high contracts. Are the Knicks really a horrible team or is there any hope for this franchise to turn it around? What is the answer? There are so many questions, but so few answers. What do you think? |
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Posted by
MPE
on 10.27.2008 | Seriously, with the season about to begin, this offers nothing that hasn’t been said a thousand times. I’m gonna start relying on Hoopshype.com from now. This is s---journalism at best. . | Posted by
StormEd
on 10.27.2008 | Yes, New York is so difficult to play in, the Yankees have won more World Series titles than any other team - and second place isn’t even close.Last time I looked, the NY Giants were defending Super Bowl champs. They’ve won three times. Think they would’ve won a few more Supes if they played in Shreveport?Tough expectations for the Rangers? You think the expectations are lower in, say, Montreal?The Knicks have been dismal ever since James (Functional Idiot) Dolan forced Dave Checketts to fire Ernie Grunfeld. The past five years, they’ve been shaped by Isiah Thomas, who as a basketball executive has been a major success in...and then there was...and let’s not forget... . | Posted by
HV is Bull Sh*tin
on 10.27.2008 | Last time I check the Bulls are better than the Knicks. And more fun to watch. SO why the hell does the knicks get talked about so much, ridiculous. . | Posted by
on 10.26.2008 | Bulls are shithouse, thats why they arent written about. They wont be making the playoffs thiss year . | Posted by
on 10.26.2008 | aside from that, we all know that the Knicks signed promising players. To no avail, those players were ruined by their injuries . | Posted by
Twister
on 10.26.2008 | u forgot larry brown also got killed in ny after wining with the pistons . | Posted by
HV is Bull Sh*tin
on 10.25.2008 | why so many articles about the New York Tricks, and L.A. Fakers. This site gives too much love to them. It wouldn’t kill you to write about another big market team more often how about the Bulls. . |
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