Well, it was fun while it lasted. Even the diehard fans who compared last year’s New York Knicks to those of the tough and rugged early-to-mid-1990s squads knew the two squads were extremely different.
After all, what we know of the loose and fluid basketball of today can’t even dream of resembling the physical and grinding nature of the game three decades ago (shoot, even two decades ago). Therefore, trying to compare a 2023-24 squad to one from 1992-93, for instance, is, as they say, something like “apples or oranges.”
Nonetheless, what fans saw from last year’s Knicks hearkened thoughts of our hustling heroes from yesteryear. They were, at times, down, devastatingly injured, and out. Yet, through grit, hustle, and sheer willpower, the 2024 Knicks left it all on the floor.
This year, however, has officially killed any semblance of a legitimate comparison.
Anyone who even considers comparing the 2024-25 Knicks to the hard-working Pat Riley-led Knickerbockers needs a white-padded room and a straitjacket.
Folding against elite teams
Yet again, the Knicks fell to an elite NBA team. This time, Tom Thibodeau’s team was taken to the woodshed by the Boston Celtics on Sunday afternoon, 118-105. (And don’t let the 13-point difference fool you; this one was a romp throughout.)
As per usual with this squad, they folded like a cheap suit against an elite team. The Knicks’ record is now 0-3 against the reigning NBA champs and 0-7 against the top three teams in the Association (Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Oklahoma City Thunder).
Yet, at 37-20, New York still has the fourth-best record in the NBA (now tied with the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies).
Different tone, different team
Interestingly, the Knicks were sort of the same way last year. They struggled against teams over .500 but destroyed the under .500 squads.
What’s different is the makeup of the squad—the heart and soul of who they are.
What’s different is their identity—or lack thereof.
Isaiah Hartenstein and Donte DiVincenzo didn’t exactly lead the way for the team last year. Instead, they symbolized the team’s personality. Fans remember Hartenstein’s absurd and machine-like hustle, while they also felt the juice when DiVincenzo stood his ground against bigger opponents.
There isn’t a modern Knicks fan who’ll forget DiVincenzo’s near-scrap with Philadelphia 76ers’ forward Kelly Oubre in the postseason. This is similar in tone to the moments old-school Knicks fans remember from the Patrick Ewing-led Knicks of the 1990s.
With Hartenstein and DiVincenzo out, and Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges in, these Knicks resemble nothing of last year’s squad that could at least allow fans to somewhat remember the grittier days.
Where’s the heart?
“I got heart like John Starks. Hitting mad sparks. Pass me the mic, and I’ll be rocking the whole park.”
The moment the Beastie Boys and Q-Tip throw you into a track is the moment you’ve officially made a dent in this city we call New York. “Get it Together” is just one of the many instances of the 1990s Knicks finding themselves as part of a lyric.
How it begins is the key, and it’s exactly where the modern Knickerbockers need to focus.
Where is this team’s heart?
Yes, they’re incredibly thin. While nobody can fault Leon Rose for making the Towns and Bridges deals, he has yet to sufficiently bolster the team’s new identity.
Where is this team’s John Starks? Where is this squad’s Charles Oakley? Where in the world can this team find an Anthony Mason-type?
The two closest things are now gone. The hustling big man who always played is now in Oklahoma City, whereas the feisty, heart-filled little dude who steps to anybody is in Minnesota.
The latest box score will feature much of the same. Jalen Brunson poured in 22 points on 9 of 19 from the floor, and Towns led the team with 24 points on 9 of 20 shooting.
What the box score fails to communicate is just how empty the stats are. Towns got off to a horrific start, only to climb back into things efficiently—once the game was well out of hand. Brunson, for his offensive production, continually found himself abused in pick-and-roll situations.
Can they find it?
New York’s top two players—Brunson and Towns—are destroying the team’s defensive integrity. Worse yet, without Mitchell Robinson, there aren’t enough reinforcements to overcome this liability.
Sure, Robinson’s return will help, but it won’t be nearly enough. Continuing their offensive mastery also won’t be enough. They need something deeper and much more emotional to even encroach on the top teams in the league.
The 2024-25 New York Knicks need to find their true identity, and that’s the only thing that could potentially provide them with enough heart to compete.
Is it possible for them to find it? I’m not sure.
At the very least, it’s obvious that talent isn’t the issue. It’s something much tougher to duplicate …
Heart.
Any conceivable comparison of these New York Knicks to that of the early-to-mid-1990s squads is dead on arrival.
