New York Knicks at Cleveland Cavaliers

February 23, 2017

Cavaliers 119, Knicks 104

“We’re back, and we’re the same as ever!” – The Knicks

So after a very New York Knicks trade deadline, where the Knicks made no moves to better the team right now, or better the team for the future, Carmelo Anthony led his team into the Quicken Loans Arena to battle LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and the Cleveland Cavaliers. It went exactly as you would think.

The Knicks got squashed tonight, and the score doesn’t do this beat down justice.

The Knicks just aren’t anywhere close to the same league as the Cavaliers, and that was once again evident in Cleveland on Thursday. One of these teams is clearly looking to win another championship, and the other team is looking to win another draft lottery. I can imagine that most of you reading this know which team is which.

Courtney Lee and Willy Hernangomez were really the only two players on the Knicks who looked like the even cared about this game, and it showed in the stat-sheet. Lee led New York with 25 points, and the Notorious WHG finished this game with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Really good numbers for both of those guys, but without any help from Melo, Derrick Rose, and Kristaps Porzingis (more on him in a bit), it was a lost cause against the defending champs.

I can’t, and won’t, blame our friend Kristaps in this game, since he left the game early with a sprained ankle. KP possibly getting injured is the worst thing that could happen to this team in what is another lost season. An ankle injury is one that can linger, and there is no point in trotting KP out there if he isn’t 110% healthy. Why risk the franchise to try and make the eight seed and play the Cavs? What a bloodbath that four game sweep would be.

Look, I know nobody wants to hear this, and I don’t even want to type it, but the Knicks have to tank on the rest of this season. As it stands right now, the Knicks have the fifth most losses in the NBA, with 35. Only the Nets, Lakers, Suns, and Magic have more. This is the best thing that can happen for the Knicks at this point, as there is no reason to miss the playoffs by one game, and make the draft position worse. There are at least five potential star guards in the upcoming NBA draft, and it behooves the Knicks to get one of them. Guys like Markelle Fultz from Washington, De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk from Kentucky, as well as Lonzo Ball from UCLA are just a few of the guys to look at that could potentially change this franchise. Let’s just wait and see how the Knicks screw that one up, much like they did this trade deadline. 23-35.