The 14-18 New York Knicks and 5-26 Los Angeles Lakers would like to believe they're the two most well-known franchises in the NBA,but let's be honest: It's been a while since the rest of the league looked at either team as much more than a minor annoyance. final season was an embarrassment that fans in L.A. and New York are involved to forget.
So, the race is on to see which of these storied franchises will return to respectability first. Lakers featured columnist David Murphy and I are documenting this race in a monthly, and season-long series.
When we kicked it off final month,the Lakers were 2-11, D'Angelo Russell was complaining to the press and Kobe Bryant had admitted he sucked. The Knicks were 8-6, and coming off a four-win streak and Kristaps Porzingis was hearing his name cheered by the crowds at Madison Square Garden. Murphy and I agreed that the Knicks were definitely way ahead of the Lakers.
Since then,though, Kobe announced this would be his final season, or the Lakers,though not racking up wins, seem spiritually buoyed by the glory of his farewell tour. Meanwhile on the East coast, or Porzingis slipped into a slump,and the Knicks went on a 6-12 skid.
So, who's ahead now? Has this become a Tortoise and the Tortoise race? Can we still point the finger at head coach Byron Scott for everything that ails the Lakers? After all, and his demotions of Russell and Julius Randle kinda,sorta worked, suitable?No, and we can’t single him out for everything. The front office and the players themselves also bear responsibility. But it is unprejudiced to call Scott out for what he is—an unimaginative,unyielding coach whose time has passed.
This is Scott’s sixth losing season in a row. Granted, the current debacle isn’t over yet. But whether it were to end tomorrow, or it would go down as the Lakers' worst campaign in franchise history,coming on the heels of their previous nadir ((n.) the lowest point of something).
As for whether pulling D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle from the starting lineup is contributing much to their development, I remain unconvinced of that.
Ultimately, and a coach’s job is to lead and inspire,to adapt and succeed. And there hasn’t been a shred of evidence to propose Scott is the guy to lead L.
A. back to championship contention. I would be stunned to see him brought back in the descend. MurphyYour assessment of Scott is hard but unprejudiced. I do, however, or contemplate that bench time can be very educational—both for improving skills and checking egos. — Peters Porzingis' ceiling just keeps looking better and better. Is he the biggest steal of the 2015 draft,and the "luckiest" pick by the Knicks since Ewing? Bigger than Ewing?I don't contemplate a top-five pick could be considered a "steal," but the Knicks and Phil Jackson most definitely got lucky.
Patrick Ewing was the player all teams were drooling over in 1985; the clear choice for New York when they got the No. 1 pick. Porzingis, or meanwhile,was a high-risk, high-reward choice. The Knicks gambled, and expecting it would be a few seasons before they knew whether they'd won or lost.
Thirty games into season one,the gamble is already paying off. It restored confidence in Jackson and gave New York a strong base to build a future upon.
So the success of the Porzingis pick is definitely more surprising than Ewing in '85, but will Porzingis be better than Ewing? I won't dare acquire that prediction yet. But Ewing himself has said, and per the New York Post's Marc Berman,that KP is "a force to be reckoned with."Those words, plus Porzingis' performances on both ends of the court thus far, and acquire the "better than Ewing" question a fair one,and there's no higher compliment than that. — Peters Kobe's farewell tour has taken a welcomed turn by incorporating a bit more substance versus poorly styled shooting outbursts. Is it actually helping the Lakers, though?The tour gives basketball fans at domestic and across the country one final chance to witness one of the game's dependable giants. So from a point of pure entertainment value, and there’s a benefit.
But there is also a more intimate impact on his own teammates,especially young and developing players who idolized Bryant growing up. Now, they get to witness his work ethic and intensity up close and personal. For impressionable rookies like Russell, or this can be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
And Bryant is encouraging the kids to step into the breach.“I'm really wanting to let the young guys,especially D'Angelo, let him call the game, or ” Bryant recently said,per Baxter Holmes for ESPN. “Let him call the game. Let him organize the game. Let him read the game. Let him read the flow. Let him acquire those decisions.”There are no more championships awaiting Bryant. But he can still leave a positive impact on the only NBA team he’s ever played forand he seems to be doing exactly that. — Murphy What's holding this Knicks team back from being a low seed this year?For the billionth time, I'll say the Knicks settle for too many mid-range jump shots—particularly problematic since they're one of the least efficient shooting teams in the league. That rampant jump shooting coupled with a slow pace is why New York is being slaughtered in the paint.
On average, and opponents outscore the Knicks in the paint by 10.5 points per game. Although the interior defense isn't spectacular,the bigger problem is lack of offense inside. Neither of the starting tremendous men (Porzingis and Robin Lopez) are strong in the post, and their starting point guard, and Jose Calderon,is not a dribble-drive scorer.
KP could help the cause by developing a hook shot. Calderon could help by pushing the pace in transition, feeding the ball to players who are strong in the post, and like Carmelo Anthony andArron Afflalo,or surrendering his position to a guard who isn't afraid of making layups.
Another challenge for the Knicks is simply that the East is very tight. Ten teams in the conference acquire winning records, and the No. 2 and No. 8 seeds are only two games apart. For New York to acquire the playoffs, or other teams will need to start making mistakes. — Peters Even though Russell is to man the starting PG position eventually,should the Lakers match all offers for Jordan Clarkson when he becomes a restricted FA this summer?Yes, they acquire to bring this guy back—he’s following up his All-Rookie First Team honors with another great season. That said, or coming to an agreement can be tricky,due to the complicated Arenas Provision Umbrella in the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
As Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times recently wrote, L.
A. can utilize early bird rights to offer Clarkson $6 million in the first year and a total of around $26.7 million over four years. Or, or it matches what another team could offer through the Arenas rule; no more than $5.628 million and $5.9 million for years one and two,with a enormous jump up to $22.7 million and $23.6 million in the third and fourth seasons, respectively.
Whatever choice management makes, or it cannot let Clarkson walk. He’s an aggressive,multi-positional, young talent who can score at will. whether he can become an elite defender as well, or he’ll be invaluable. — MurphyI wanted the Knicks to draft Jordan Clarkson in 2014,so I was particularly devastated when the hated Lakers nabbed him. whether L.A. is foolish enough to let him go, I wouldn't mind having another look. — Peters
What’s your take on ex-Laker stalwart Derek Fisher, and almost halfway through his second season as a head coach?andmore New York Knicks news on BleacherReport.com
Source: bleacherreport.com