Why Are the Knicks So Much Worse This Year Than Last Year?

[BusSport]

Last year, the Knicks had one of the best records in the NBA in the regular season. This year, they have one of the worst.

Why are the Knicks so much worse this year than last year?

I don't get it. They have the same head coach and the same core players.

So what changed that they're so much worse this year than last year?

 

[Brahmsian]

They got lucky last year and now reality is catching up with them sums it up.

 

[Lone Granger]

It was bound to happen. I was watching them the other day, and seeing JR throw up shitty shot after shitty shot, then the fans booed him under the bench. The team is built with three legs, unfortunately, for NY fans.

 

[Triplexxx23]

Its pretty simple ... Carmelo Anthony... he is a virus to which ever team he plays for

 

[tlance]

The best players on the team are all "me first" guys. Last season the Knicks had enough veteran leadership to keep some of the egos in check. Kidd might not be a very good head coach because of his lack of experience, but he was one hell of a coach on the floor last year.

Now this team needs Carmelo to step up and be that leader, but he is only interested in playing the game on his own terms and he is unwilling to sacrifice for the greater good.

Like Denver before them, this team will be better once Carmelo walks even though the other pieces are pretty mediocre.

 

[Triplexxx23]

The best players on the team are all "me first" guys. Last season the Knicks had enough veteran leadership to keep some of the egos in check. Kidd might not be a very good head coach because of his lack of experience, but he was one hell of a coach on the floor last year.

Now this team needs Carmelo to step up and be that leader, but he is only interested in playing the game on his own terms and he is unwilling to sacrifice for the greater good.

Like Denver before them, this team will be better once Carmelo walks even though the other pieces are pretty mediocre.

 

[Jims_Doors]

Last year, the Knicks had one of the best records in the NBA in the regular season. This year, they have one of the worst.

Why are the Knicks so much worse this year than last year?

I don't get it. They have the same head coach and the same core players.

So what changed that they're so much worse this year than last year?

Injuries....Chandler (their only true C) has missed 20 of 30 games. Felton has missed 13 (with garbage at back-up PG)

Less scoring threats

Worse defense being played this year (-4.5ppg) compared to last (+4.3) Which is hard to believe considering all the injuries in the East.

They're just playing all around shitty basketball.

 

[Jims_Doors]

Its pretty simple ... Carmelo Anthony... he is a virus to which ever team he plays for

Made Syracuse better...check

Made Denver better.....check

Made NYK better....check

You were saying???

 

[Jims_Doors]

The best players on the team are all "me first" guys. Last season the Knicks had enough veteran leadership to keep some of the egos in check. Kidd might not be a very good head coach because of his lack of experience, but he was one hell of a coach on the floor last year.

Now this team needs Carmelo to step up and be that leader, but he is only interested in playing the game on his own terms and he is unwilling to sacrifice for the greater good.

Like Denver before them, this team will be better once Carmelo walks even though the other pieces are pretty mediocre.

Denver has gotten better since he left?

Melo was their best scorer/player when Denver got to the WCF in 2009. They haven't been past the first round since.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

Denver has gotten better since he left?

Melo was their best scorer/player when Denver got to the WCF in 2009. They haven't been past the first round since.

I do not think Melo makes a team worse but he is has some very limiting qualities that make it nearly impossible to win a ring with a Melo led team.

I think Chandler is the reason they are doing so poorly this year. Chandler seemed to play enough D to get a few others to play D and play more team oriented basketball.

Chandler is the Knicks most valuable player and probably the only player I keep off that roster in a fire sale.

 

[raptorlife4]

Curse of Bargnani

 

[HammerDown]

Its pretty simple ... Carmelo Anthony... he is a virus to which ever team he plays for

This has become undeniable.

 

[Jims_Doors]

This has become undeniable.

Quite the opposite. See post #8

 

[_Xer0_]

the Knicks problems begin and end with Carmelo Anthony.

the guy is a chucker that makes his teammates worse.

 

[wildturkey]

Mostly two reasons: Injuries and the 3 ball

Last year they shot the 3 at a ridiculous rate to start the year, but cooled off a bit after the ASG and were still pretty good. This year, not so much. They base so much of their offense off it that the dip in percentage has drastically reduced their offense. Injuries are a big problem too. They've played much of the year without their starting center (Chandler) and starting PG (Felton). Then you toss in losing usable role players (Novak and Copeland) for two useless players (Bargs and Artest) and you've got the 2013/2014 Knicks.

FWIW, most of last year was a fluke due to hot shooting. They were gangbusters for the first couple of months but in the 2nd half of the season, their W-L record was that of a midrange team. So all you're seeing now is what happens when you take 2 starters away from a midrange team.

 

[CardiacKemba]

Jeez Carmelo is not the problem...in a seven game series he may not be the most reliable player but to imply the Knicks are better off without him is insane...Bargnani is a shooter stuck playing the 5, Chandler and Felton have been hurt, Smith has regressed, Amar'e has regressed...they play no defense aside from Iman Shumpert. They over achieved last year and are a marginal team this year, but it is not Melo's fault

 

[wildturkey]

"Regressed" for Amare is being overly generous.

 

[Clayton]

The 3 ball shooting is a big thing but Ill go a step further and just say that JR Smith is robbing them blind.

Last year he was a 42% shooter and this year he is a 35% shooter. His FT numbers are down from 76% to 60%. He is hitting his 3pters at almost the exact same rate but he is taking more of them. He is attempting 3 fewer shot and 2 fewer FTs a game so he is obviously driving less and trying less. His scoring is down from 18ppg to 12ppg and there isnt anybody else on the team that is going to step in and get those points back.

So basically JR Smith needs to start driving again. The problem is that this year's JR Smith resembles his career. Last year was the exception.

 

[BusSport]

They got lucky last year and now reality is catching up with them sums it up.

Extrapolating their current record of 10-21 this year to the whole season, they'll finish 26-56. Last year, they finished 54-28. Luck alone doesn't account for a 28-game swing.

 

[Brahmsian]

Extrapolating their current record of 10-21 this year to the whole season, they'll finish 26-56. Last year, they finished 54-28. Luck alone doesn't account for a 28-game swing.

Not all of it, but most of it anyway.

What was their record season before last? Well under .500 wasn't it?