Regional Sports

Shame on Knicks for not creating super team

Super teams have become the rage as soon as LeBron James made the decision to sign with the Heat in 2010. Dwyane Wade recruited him and Chris Bosh to play for the Heat by giving them a vision of what they can accomplish together. Four NBA Finals appearances and two NBA championships were what those three did together as members of the Heat.

So it’s ironic James lost his championship repeat bid to a super team in the Warriors Monday night in the NBA Finals. The Warriors decided to create a super team of their own after falling short to that same Cavaliers team last year. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala did a sales job to Kevin Durant at the Hamptons about coming to the Warriors last July. It was so good that Durant was sold when they said hello to him, and he made his decision to sign with the Warriors last offseason.

Seeing the Heat and Warriors having success of building a super team should put the Knicks to shame for their inability to build a super team of their own. Derrick Rose dubbed the Knicks as “superteam” in his first press conference with the Knicks after he was acquired from the Bulls, but in reality, they were a team that had no chemistry or ability to create winning basketball. It was another wasted 31-51 season for them.

This is on James Dolan, Carmelo Anthony and Phil Jackson for not only creating a super team, but not creating a team that would play an entertaining brand of basketball and winning brand of basketball.

Dolan has zero credibility in the NBA. He is known as a bumbling owner who is out of touch with the players and the league in general. He is perceived as a dummy. He has created a culture of paranoia, distrust and losing within the Knicks organization. This comes back to him when players realize they want no part of this circus. That’s why James had no interest in signing with the Knicks in 2010, and that’s why Durant never even bothered talking to the Knicksfor wine and dine meet.

Carmelo Anthony was stupid enough to play for Dolan and the Knicks. Let’s be clear, though. He did not play in New York for the sake of his homecoming as the Knicks led their fans to believe or being the guy that wanted to end the Knicks’ championship drought of 44 years. He came to enjoy the New York lifestyle and creating his personal brand. Winning a championship is the least of his priorities.

Anthony might be loved and respected by his contemporaries, but it does not mean they want to play with him outside of Kristaps Porzingis. This is why he will never be part of a super team anywhere he plays. His game does not mesh with other basketball players. He needs the ball at all times for him to be productive, so being a facilitator is not his game.

Not only is Jackson clueless in building a basketball team, but no one is interested in playing for him after he savaged Anthony endlessly to his henchman, Charley Rosen and on Twitter. Why would any player wants to play for an executive who bashes them publicly? Also, he wants to get players who are willing to play the overrated triangle offense. Not many players want to play it since they can’t play it. It’s on Jackson and his staff to maximize the skills of the players through their strengths.

Unfortunately, Jackson and his staff have no interest in doing that, so this is going to be futile for them in getting players to play well and getting players to play for them.

Don’t expect anything to change with all three of them. Even if the Knicks trade Anthony. it will not solve the team’s problems because Dolan and Jackson will still be there.

It’s sad to see this once proud organization deteriorated to the point they are the new Warriors. The new Warriors as in when they used to be a terrible franchise before the Stephen Curry-Klay Thompson era. This should never happen in a city like New York.

New York is the type of city that should get stars to play together and win a championship for that city. There’s something about winning championships in that city. The moment is big, and athletes become bigger than life when they win. If any star wants to play for the Knicks and end their championship drought, he would be beloved forever.

The Knicks are a team that is rich in history. They play in the “Mecca of basketball” in Madison Square Garden. They play in New York. There’s no reason for them to not get stars on the roster.
It’s frustrating to see small-market teams like the Heat and Warriors get stars while no one wants to play for the Knicks. It’s the sign of the times, and this is why the Knicks are a laughingstock of pro sports.

This is a franchise that lost credibility long time ago. It will not get better until Dolan sells the Knicks, and that will never happen since he is making plenty of money, so he has no motivation to sell. It could get much worse before it gets better.

The Knicks should be one of those rare teams that can build a super team. Unfortunately, too many inept people at the Garden make it impossible for them to happen.

It’s a tragedy and a crime to see the Knicks become an undesirable franchise to play when it should never happen.

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