OT: Are the Knicks sneaking into contention?

My thoughts are.... They need trade us Kristaps.

 

That'll never happen.

 

Meh... It's taken a 4-game winning streak against three of the weakest teams in the league to get to 12-9. They've beaten 7-13 SAC, 6-15 MIN twice and 7-14 MIA. Sure, you can only beat who you play, but nothing about those wins screams contender to me.

Are they better than last season? Most definitely. Does that make them contenders? Definitely not. There is a whole lot of room between being one of the shittiest teams in the league and being a bonafide contender. Congrats to the Knicks on reaching that middle ground. It's a huge step up from where they were last year, but there is nothing about their current resume that makes them contenders.

BNM

 

They play Cleveland tomorrow night. Let's see. Part of being a contender is spanking the bad teams. It means you're not one of them.

 

LOL I missed HyperboleSpeed.

 

Dont you think that they have a veteran roster of stars that will continue to gel together and know when it is time to turn it on?

I wouldn't call them front runners, but with the talent they have, I would def. consider them a dark horse who can sneak in the back door at the end of the season.
Was Carmelo ever an MVP/ I dont think so, but close? Rose was. I know they arent the same, but sometimes age is trumped by experience and vet savy. With how the east is, I fully expect them to know when to kick it into another gear and be a top four by seasons end. If not, then they are one of a few great failures of talent.
To me they go as far as Melo goes. As long as he keeps the ball and plays iso, they wont win. But if he learns to play more team ball, they can be one hell of a threat.

 

Knowing when they need to kick it into another gear and having another gear are two different things. I look at that roster and I see three vets that are all past their primes, one very young, very talented player and a bunch of nobodies. Sure Rose was an MVP several years ago, but his game relied on unreal athleticism that has abandoned him after so many injuries. He's not even close to the player he was then. And, he's never been a great 3-point shooter. So, he doesn't even have that to fall back on.

Rose and Noah are both injury prone and it' a LONG season. Melo hasn't had the injury history those two have had. So, his decline is more gradual, but make no mistake he is in a slow, gradual decline.

Porzingas is their future, but right now, he's still a young player trying to adjust to the grueling NBA schedule and learning how to win. He's a VERY nice piece for their future, but right now, he's not ready to carry a team on his back.

So, that leaves an aging, inefficient Carmelo as their go to guy. That recipe hasn't worked in several years and surrounding him with other old, past their prime players isn't going to change that.

BNM

 

Good points. I don't know much about the rest of their roster role players. Their passing abilities, etc. I still think if Carmelo can get others involved, they go alot further than letting him back a guy down into the paint all the time.
I was gonna bring up the Lakers when Payton and Malone joined them and they were considered has beens, but then I think that team was much better in both top to bottom talent and individual superstardom.

The east is weak though. I could still. see them making a run at the top four and then when the playoffs starts and the game slows down and players have more nights off.. it will benefit a team like this.
They MUST stay healthy to have any type of chance though.

 

Ouch...

 

Contention for making the playoffs in the east? Sure. For making it past the first round? Doubtful.

 

Brandon Jennings isn't a nobody. He is a great passer/playmaker that can play decent D. He's been very effective for them coming off the bench. Remember, before the injury, Jennings was having 20 assist games for Detroit. Then Detroit picked up Jackson and suddenly Jennings didn't have a team. Also, those two tall white guys on the bench can shoot. And Courtney Lee has been around and started for other good teams.

 

Yes, because nothing says contender quite like Brandon Jennings, Courtney Lee and two white guys whose names you can't remember.

BNM

 

But the thread topic wasn't, "have they turned it around"?