via DIMEMAG
Frankly, Maximus, I’m not entertained. By the New York Knicks? The last time this team peaked my interest I had stumbled upon a billboard in midtown on a sweltering summer afternoon. Staring me down was Jigga’s nose and Prokhorov’s beady billionaire eyes, not only tracking my movement, but of Dolan’s a block away. You see, I wasn’t even interested strictly by the Knicks, but of a (half-assed) rivalry, now loaded with a declaration of “Greatness” and a Manhattan tale of who can court LeBron the hardest. Except the tri-state couldn’t close for shit, so it was a moot pointAmar'e Stoudemire regardless.
Am I bitter? Yes.
Too many clowns and bozos over the years. T-shirt launching delinquents, state-of-the-art jumbotrons – really? Is this Ringling Bros. or a basketball game? It’s redundant to name names this franchise has been trying (not) to exorcise. To be honest, for a split second, I was excited about this upcoming season.
The thought of childhood memories, NY basketball and another first step into MSG brought a smile. I adore the logo, the artificial lighting lining the cramped hallways of MSG, the overpriced Ranch 1 chicken fingers, the saltiest popcorn known to man; everything about it. It’s from my childhood, what can I say? And then Media Day beckoned and I was, surprisingly, still upbeat.
It was refreshing to see new faces.
A new season to turn things around.
From the millennial Garden of Horrors.
From the losing. Oh, the losing. The embarrassment. The turnovers. The blowouts. The tabloids. It all came flooding back to me as I sat down to write this team preview.
What’s there to say? Will Amar’e dominate the paint, rustling forgotten memories of Patrick handling his business in a quieter, pre-Twitter era? Might Ray Felton and Amar’e run a respectable pick-and-roll (if Chris Duhon and David Lee can, why the hell not…right)? Perhaps Anthony Randolph develops into the consistent offensive weapon we’ve seen glimpses of? How about Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari taking it to the next level? Or Toney Douglas, Timofey Mozgov, Kelenna Azubuike and Ronny Turiaf contributing off the bench? Dare I say, might defense become evident?
Granted, there is a talented front court this franchise hasn’t rostered since Kurt Thomas, Marcus Camby and Patrick took the floor. The offensive potential of Amar’e, Randolph and Gallinari, coupled with the defensive possibilities of Turiaf, Mozgov and Amar’e actually blocking some damn shots, is stronger than years past. Throw in Felton and Douglas pressuring the ball up court and running a semi-manageable D’Antoni paced offense, and the Knicks are hopefully a .500 team. But who the hell really knows.
Everything is a might or a maybe or a wait and see with this franchise. It has been for the past decade. Honestly, nobody has a clue what these Knicks will bring to the table this year. I sure as hell don’t. With an average age of 25, new pieces and no identity, expectations are grounded. I’m just tired of the waiting. Donnie gambled hard this summer, technically coming up short, and nobody can criticize him for trying. But if this organization actually expects fans to wait any longer, it won’t be an easy drink to swallow. No more, “Just hold out, we can get (insert latest superstar free agent name here, in this case, Melo)! Just a little longer! The losing will be worth it.”
Please. I’m as loyal as they come and even I’m beginning to lose my patience. I’ve sat through everything, helplessly trying to defend what I could, but now I’m just fatigued. Of the losing. Of the uncertainty. Of the black-hole that has become Knicks tweeting, reminding me every moment of what this team isn’t and hasn’t been since my childhood.
I’ve yet to be entertained.
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