Knicks Morning News (2023.08.12)

So let me get this straight: the Knicks were “just lucky” to have matched up with the Cavs, they were “almost swept” by the Heat, and three other team in the EC were “near locks” to have beaten the Knicks in the first round.

Nothing like basing an entire argument on unprovable claims, while willfully ignoring all evidence to the contrary!

The irony is that no one is claiming that the Knicks are a Tier 1 team, whatever that means. What “a small circle of wild-eyed optimists” seem to be saying is that the Knicks are capable of beating anyone if a few things go right, and that they are positioned to make a consolidation trade to improve the team further. They are saying that other teams in the conference have serious question marks, ant that represents an opportunity.

The Heat could get better or get worse, depending on how they fill in the team around the eventual Lillard acquisition. If they stand pat, they will almost surely be worse. It’s certainly fair to boil down the difference between the Knicks and Heat last year to coaching, although injuries, prior playoff experience, and players getting hot and cold at the right time are also factors.

The Celts could get better or get worse, depending on how gaining KP but losing Smart and Grant Williams and Brogdan’s surgery works out.

The Bucks could get better or get worse, depending on Giannis’ knee and the effects of Father Time work out.

The Sixers are almost certainly going to be worse, but they have MVP Embiid and will be dangerous so long as he stays healthy.
The Hawks, Cavs, Raps, Pacers, and Bulls all have a range of possible outcomes, contingent on already executed and subsequent moves and player development.

My guess is that most here don’t really give a shit about how the Knicks measure up to teams in the West at this point, since they only have to worry about facing one of them IF they get to the finals. And if this Knicks team gets to the finals this year or next, that would satisfy nearly everyone on this board that the Leon regime has been a rousing success. Not everyone it appears, but whatever.

The bottom line is that there is more parity in the East than there has been in a long time, and who gets to the ECFs and the finals will be more contingent on luck than ever. It will be a combination of who’s healthy and who’s hot come playoff time. There are probably 7 teams with at least a puncher’s chance of making it to the ECFs. To argue that the Knicks, even as currently configured, aren’t in that mix, is just ridiculous. They have an reasonable chance of being in the top 3 record-wise in the EC, and a puncher’s chance of advancing to the EC finals IF they stay healthy, play to their “reasonable” potential, and get some luck.

No one is saying that they are locks or even favorites for anything.

BE I agree that CLE is a team to watch in the East. Strus and Niang were nice gets for them.

Still, they have serious defensive issues in their backcourt, and Spida is their only true shot creator. I just don’t have a lot of faith in their coach in masking their issues, but maybe he develops along with their young core. Put differently, I think a mastermind like Spo could do wonders with that roster.

“If there’s any team from the 90s that this team compares to, it’s the Lenny Wilkens’ Hawks teams.”

Nice to throw out a comparison without any justification for it, beyond being unnecessarily dismissive and argumentative. Again, some things never change!

When Lenny Wilkens took over the Hawks, their starters were age 26, 31, 25, 32 and 34 (a washed Dominique, who was traded for Danny Manning, who was lost at season’s end to free agency.) They maintained a team largely of vets and had one decent season in 1996-97 on the backs of Mookie Blaylock, Steve Smith, Christian Laettner, Dikembe Mutombo, and Ty Corbin. with their best bench player being the immortal Eldridge Recasner.

The current Knicks have zero in common with that team.