The New York Knickerbockers haven't been to the NBA Finals since the strike shortened 1998-99 season. Between the 2000-01 to the 2009-10 seasons, there were very irrelevant. That period is "highlighted" by a pair of 59 loss seasons (2005-06 under Larry Brown and 2007-08 under Isiah Thomas), a sexual harassment suit (thanks Isiah)!, the acquisition of Eddy Curry (Isiah again!) and general ineptitude. The lone "bright spot" if you will was backing into the playoffs during the 2003-04 season with a 39-43 record only to be swept in the 1st round by the Nets.
It's easy to delve into the heinousity of the Knicks during Isiah Thomas' tenure as a coach and executive but I'm going to hold back. Much like I'm going to hold back on my feelings towards Carmelo Anthony. The Knicks traded for Melo at the trade deadline of the 2010-11 season in a huge 3 team deal. During that year with the Nuggets, Melo made it known that he needed a trade to big market and would talk to anyone that listened about it. He even went so far as to pat himself on the back for his consistent play for the Nuggets during the distraction, which he caused! Talk about a self-absorbed jerk. During his time in Denver, the Nuggets posted four 50+ win seasons and made the playoffs every year from 2003-04 (Melo's rookie year) to 2009-10 (his final full season). The Nuggets did get as far as the Western Conference Finals in 2009 but all other seasons they exited in the 1st round. This was the guy the Knicks were going to hitch their wagon to.The Nuggets, by the way, made the playoffs after trading Melo and the next two seasons after that. Granted they were bounced in the 1st round, proving that little had changed after the trade.
To be fair, Melo has led the Knicks to the playoffs since his arrival. In 2011 the Knicks were swept by the Celtics in the 1st round. In 2012 the managed to stretch the Heat to a game 5 in the 1st round before going home for the summer. Last year was a different story, they dispatched an aging and depleted Celtic after letting them hang around for 6 games and then got beat the Pacers in 6 games in a hard fought series. After that success, the Knicks extended the contract of head coach Mike Woodson and had high expectations going into this year.
This year has been off to a bad start. The Knicks are 3-9 and look bad. Their only defender, Tyson Chandler is out with an injury, high priced power forward Amare Stoudemire is damaged goods and bow there's even talk that Coach Woodson is on the hot seat. Then out of nowhere Melo decides, "I want to be a free agent" when he can opt out of his contract after this season. This was the guy who whined about being in Denver and how he had to go to New York then 3 seasons later wants out? Even Charles Barkley took issue with Melo's statement. Now he did backtrack on those comments saying that he wants test free agency and stay in New York. If Melo wants to leave then he stands to lose tens of millions of dollars which I doubt he's going to do unless the Knicks pull a sign and trade.
Barkley and other NBA talking heads have said that Carmelo has to make free agents want to come to New York. Like the way guys go to play in Miami or with the Clippers. The problem is NO ONE wants to play with Melo. Melo needs the ball to be successful. In 161 games since being traded to New York, Melo has averaged 20.6 shot/game versus 3 assists/game. During the strike season of 2011-12, while was nursing an injury, the Knicks were winning and in the hysteric grip of "Lin-Sanity" and Melo could not be more livid. He disliked the attention that Jeremy Lin got while the Knicks were winning without him in the line-up. The Knicks were fun to watch, they were up-tempo and exciting. Whereas with Melo, they are a plodding, dull offense. Check out this article for more information.
No top tiered free agent wants to come to New York and play with the Knicks. It's no secret owner James Dolan is a whack-job and Carmelo will run any person out of town who shares the spot light. Although, the Knicks seem to think that they can lure Kevin Love from Minnesota when he becomes a free agent in 2015, provided they re-sign Anthony. Now Love is said to be unhappy with the Timberwolves management but he plays with a young and exciting team. The polar opposite of the Knicks right now.
Presently both the Knicks and the Nets stink. Both clubs appear to be mismanaged (who thought Jason Kidd would be a good coach without no coaching experience what so ever?) and are quite frankly a league embarrassment. David Stern does not want to step down as commissioner with a laughingstock of a cornerstone market. The Nets could conceivably turn it around this year. The Knicks, not so much. Tyson Chandler is out and he's the only guy who plays defense. The offense is bad, the only thing keeping Anthony from jacking up 45 shots a game is JR Smith putting it up the moment he gets his hands on the ball. The Knicks can always tank in hopes of getting a high draft pick but that seldom works. Just go ask the Celtics when the put all their eggs in the Tim Duncan basket in the 1997 NBA Draft and wound of with Ron Mercer. Besides the Knicks hardly have a great draft history since they took Patrick Ewing with the number one pick in 1985 (there are those that feel that the 1985 draft was rigged). To be fair the Knicks did draft some solid players but Mark Jackson, Rod Strickland and David Lee had greater success after the Knicks kicked them to the curb.
Despite the fact that the Knicks are lousy, the Eastern Conference is just terrible enough where they could sneak into the playoffs, assuring themselves of a mid-level 1st round pick. So that may not help either (again the whole draft history of the team again). The Knickerbockers are going to be in for a long season and you can probably wager with a fair degree of certainty that Anthony will probably praise himself for doing all "he can" to try to win.
It's easy to delve into the heinousity of the Knicks during Isiah Thomas' tenure as a coach and executive but I'm going to hold back. Much like I'm going to hold back on my feelings towards Carmelo Anthony. The Knicks traded for Melo at the trade deadline of the 2010-11 season in a huge 3 team deal. During that year with the Nuggets, Melo made it known that he needed a trade to big market and would talk to anyone that listened about it. He even went so far as to pat himself on the back for his consistent play for the Nuggets during the distraction, which he caused! Talk about a self-absorbed jerk. During his time in Denver, the Nuggets posted four 50+ win seasons and made the playoffs every year from 2003-04 (Melo's rookie year) to 2009-10 (his final full season). The Nuggets did get as far as the Western Conference Finals in 2009 but all other seasons they exited in the 1st round. This was the guy the Knicks were going to hitch their wagon to.The Nuggets, by the way, made the playoffs after trading Melo and the next two seasons after that. Granted they were bounced in the 1st round, proving that little had changed after the trade.
To be fair, Melo has led the Knicks to the playoffs since his arrival. In 2011 the Knicks were swept by the Celtics in the 1st round. In 2012 the managed to stretch the Heat to a game 5 in the 1st round before going home for the summer. Last year was a different story, they dispatched an aging and depleted Celtic after letting them hang around for 6 games and then got beat the Pacers in 6 games in a hard fought series. After that success, the Knicks extended the contract of head coach Mike Woodson and had high expectations going into this year.
This year has been off to a bad start. The Knicks are 3-9 and look bad. Their only defender, Tyson Chandler is out with an injury, high priced power forward Amare Stoudemire is damaged goods and bow there's even talk that Coach Woodson is on the hot seat. Then out of nowhere Melo decides, "I want to be a free agent" when he can opt out of his contract after this season. This was the guy who whined about being in Denver and how he had to go to New York then 3 seasons later wants out? Even Charles Barkley took issue with Melo's statement. Now he did backtrack on those comments saying that he wants test free agency and stay in New York. If Melo wants to leave then he stands to lose tens of millions of dollars which I doubt he's going to do unless the Knicks pull a sign and trade.
Barkley and other NBA talking heads have said that Carmelo has to make free agents want to come to New York. Like the way guys go to play in Miami or with the Clippers. The problem is NO ONE wants to play with Melo. Melo needs the ball to be successful. In 161 games since being traded to New York, Melo has averaged 20.6 shot/game versus 3 assists/game. During the strike season of 2011-12, while was nursing an injury, the Knicks were winning and in the hysteric grip of "Lin-Sanity" and Melo could not be more livid. He disliked the attention that Jeremy Lin got while the Knicks were winning without him in the line-up. The Knicks were fun to watch, they were up-tempo and exciting. Whereas with Melo, they are a plodding, dull offense. Check out this article for more information.
No top tiered free agent wants to come to New York and play with the Knicks. It's no secret owner James Dolan is a whack-job and Carmelo will run any person out of town who shares the spot light. Although, the Knicks seem to think that they can lure Kevin Love from Minnesota when he becomes a free agent in 2015, provided they re-sign Anthony. Now Love is said to be unhappy with the Timberwolves management but he plays with a young and exciting team. The polar opposite of the Knicks right now.
Presently both the Knicks and the Nets stink. Both clubs appear to be mismanaged (who thought Jason Kidd would be a good coach without no coaching experience what so ever?) and are quite frankly a league embarrassment. David Stern does not want to step down as commissioner with a laughingstock of a cornerstone market. The Nets could conceivably turn it around this year. The Knicks, not so much. Tyson Chandler is out and he's the only guy who plays defense. The offense is bad, the only thing keeping Anthony from jacking up 45 shots a game is JR Smith putting it up the moment he gets his hands on the ball. The Knicks can always tank in hopes of getting a high draft pick but that seldom works. Just go ask the Celtics when the put all their eggs in the Tim Duncan basket in the 1997 NBA Draft and wound of with Ron Mercer. Besides the Knicks hardly have a great draft history since they took Patrick Ewing with the number one pick in 1985 (there are those that feel that the 1985 draft was rigged). To be fair the Knicks did draft some solid players but Mark Jackson, Rod Strickland and David Lee had greater success after the Knicks kicked them to the curb.
Despite the fact that the Knicks are lousy, the Eastern Conference is just terrible enough where they could sneak into the playoffs, assuring themselves of a mid-level 1st round pick. So that may not help either (again the whole draft history of the team again). The Knickerbockers are going to be in for a long season and you can probably wager with a fair degree of certainty that Anthony will probably praise himself for doing all "he can" to try to win.
