The Knicks have as many games left as most people not named Jason Pierre-Paul have fingers on one hand. That’s both a bit sad and somewhat reassuring at the same time, seeing as the tailspin that started in January has been difficult to watch for a fanbase used to losing in recent years that was given a glimmer of hope by the Knicks’ .500 record at the midpoint of the season. All that’s left to be accomplished with this season now is to play potential spoiler to the Pacers, a team that we have every reason to despise. It was only three years ago that a young Pacers team upset Carmelo’s best Knicks team in Round 2 of the playoffs, and most of us remember those years in the 90s when Reggie Miller was the basketball equivalent of a hemorrhoid on the Knicks’ ass. Hell, Spike Lee helped make a 30 for 30 on his quasi-rivalry against Miller and the Pacers highlighting some of those dramatic playoff battles from the Ewing days.
The Pacers are 2 games ahead of the 9th place Bulls with 6 games left to play for each team, and the Knicks play Indiana twice in their last five games, starting with tonight’s game at MSG. I realize this franchise doesn’t exactly have a loving relationship with Chicago either, but it was a lot easier to accept losing to Jordan’s Bulls than it was to lose to Miller’s Pacers back in the day. This is a golden opportunity to end the Pacers’ season and have them searching for tee times in late April instead of gameplanning for the Cavs or Raptors.
I realize there’s not much to be excited about right now. Porzingis may sit the rest of the year out, and probably should. The Knicks do not have a first round draft pick to be optimistic about, so even praying for ping pong balls is out the window. It took the veterans themselves asking Rambis to play some of the young guys for Jerian Grant to get a start and some meaningful minutes, which we talked about ad nauseum in the comments of the game thread for the game at Dallas a few nights back (still didn’t get Get Cic or Die Tryin’ out of the starting lineup, which is so frustrating it’s become comical at this point). And most of the guys on this roster figure to be gone after this year or the next, so it’s tough to even try and become attached to what exists on the roster outside of the starting frontcourt. But hey, Cleanthony Early got some run against Brooklyn, and it was definitely awesome to see the kid come back from that extremely weird straight-out-of-a-gangster-movie robbery and gunshot to the knee. When I think back to that bizarre moment in the season, I remember thinking his career could be in jeopardy, so it’s been pretty great to see him be able to play before the season ends.
But we can get excited about potentially knocking the Pacers out of the playoffs. Indiana has been in a bit of a tailspin lately, losing games to Orlando and Brooklyn in their last five. They also play Cleveland and Toronto before playing New York again, so if we can beat them twice (ideally) or get a split, there’s a very real possibility that the Pacers end up joining the Knicks on the outside of the playoff picture in two weeks. I think that’s plenty of reason to be amped up for tonight’s game, because if there’s one thing I like more than being happy, it’s seeing people I don’t like being unhappy. And the Pacers are one giant amorphous blob of people I don’t like (although it’s tough not to be a fan of Paul George, I’ve got to admit).
So, in short, LET’S GO KNICKS! MAKE THE PACERS SHARE IN OUR COLLECTIVE MISERY!
No Kristaps, no Melo (resting for what Rambis says will probably just be one game). Your starting lineup
Lopez
Williams
Early
Sasha
Grant
Fear us, Pacers!
Also, they don’t expect Lance back for the rest of the season. So if, in theory, KP and Calderon are kept out of the last few games as a precaution, our roster of active players will be:
Lopez
Melo
Williams
Sasha
Grant
Seraphin
Galloway
Afflalo
Early
O’Quinn
Amundson
Sasha has been secretly not so terrible lately. He still shouldn’t be starting, but facts is facts
I hear Guitar Jimmy will be handing out free tickets to see JD and the Straight Shot as a reimbursement to fans
I was thinking the same thing watching the Brooklyn game. His numbers aren’t great and he definitely shouldn’t be starting, but he seems like a good locker room guy at this stage of his career and has provided some good energy. Ultimately the best option for us next year is if he doesn’t come back, but as a guy playing spot minutes to give an energy boost or as an antagonist off the bench, he has been serviceable in that regard, at least as of late.
I feel dirty for writing about it
At the very least, Sasha has been leapfroged by Kevin Seraphin and particularly Arron Afflalo on my current list of “least favorite Knicks of the season.”
I think he’s legit outplaying Afflalo post ASB
I think he’s legit outplaying Afflalo post ASB
Some of the advanced stats peg them as basically equal for the entire year, just below the value of your typical replacement player. I don’t think it’s nuts. Afflalo is still a solid post player and a very good shooter but he is truly terrible at everything else. When Afflalo and Jose are in the game, opponents turn it over 8.3 /100, which is earth shatteringly low. The Knicks are worst in the league at 10.5% opp turnovers but without those two they just a little below average.
MSG running a TASS-worthy segment on Kevin Seraphin
Is it just me or has D-Will improved his 3 point shooting over the past month and a half or so
Nice layup from DWill for all my PnR truthers
Take your weak shit elsewhere Paul George
Zinger and Melo dressed like they’re auditioning for the pulp fiction sequel
You know what they call a Big Mac in Latvia, Melo?
Sasha get buckets
Apparently they call it a Big Mac, which sort of ruins my joke
ha. i looked too.
We put in work on these threads
amber alert on the triangle
how is grant not back in yet?
Afflalo ruins everything
Why in the world is Lavoy Allen starting over Myles Turner
I was going to switch to The Walking Dead at 9, but I could just keep watching the Knicks.
I was going to switch to The Walking Dead at 9, but I could just keep watching the Knicks.
why not make a night of it. leaving this thread at 10pm for the Talking Dead seems wasteful and redundant.
I stopped watching and now the game doesn’t annoy me any more.
You know what they say:
If you can’t beat ’em, walk away and do something else.
I’ll jump on the fourth quarter grenade, but I want a half off in summer league when anthony randolph is put in to spell hernangomez.
The Dead are Walking.
The Pacers are Breaking Bad.
Better Call Paul!
Someone may need to extract me.
From what I’ve seen, pretty gutty performance by the Knicks so far. Been going back and forth with Mets v. Royals. Got to see Cespedes drop another fly ball…
Sasha is trying to win this one by himself. Not kidding.
Honestly I’m pretty awesome
George > Afflalo. No shame in that.
if life has taught me anything, it is that sasha will hit a walk off three here
damn you, life
Last year, this would have been a perfect loss, gutsy effort, better lottery position.
BUT THIS YEAR WE DONT HAVE OUR FUCKING DRAFT PICK
Afflalo > George. No shame in that. Wait!
Sasha with inspired D.
Ball don’t lie, ref!
Life got some more lessons to learn you pt
if rambis had any respect at all for the fidelity of the pulp fiction sequel, he would have inserted melo and zingis in full street clothes for that last possession
Caught the last few mins of the game. Great play calls out of timeouts by Rambis in the final 2 minutes, couldnt ask for better shots than that from Afflalo and Vujacic…..
Rambis said that Melo asked for the game off. I imagine Rambis was like, “Shit, I was planning on playing you 48 minutes tonight.”
BUT THIS YEAR WE DONT HAVE OUR FUCKING DRAFT PICK
That about sums up the whole year nicely