Could things get worse for Knicks? Yes

By Chris Sheridan
ESPN Insider

NEW YORK -- Larry Brown received the loudest ovation of the night, but he had to get ejected to beat out Kobe Bryant.

New York's latest loss, a 130-97 drubbing that eclipsed the Knicks' previous worst loss this season (26 points), was appalling on so many levels, it was hard to find a fan not shaking his head while streaming toward the exits at the end of the third quarter. Bryant was serenaded with a chant of "M-V-P" by the few who stuck around until the end, almost all of them Lakers fans.

A new low for the Knicks for sure, but don't believe for a second that things can't get worse.

If the past-half decade of futility has taught anybody anything when writing about the Knicks, it's that one must be careful when declaring they've hit rock bottom. Invariably when someone says it, the ensuing events make last week or last season look rosy by comparison.

"I went shopping today, and people kept coming up to me on the street, saying, 'You're going to score 90 tonight. You're going to score 100 tonight.' You know how crazy that sounds?" Bryant said.

The Knicks' 30th loss of this lost season was so dreadful, it was pitiful. Bryant went to the free throw line 26 times, making 23, and stayed in the game past the midpoint of the meaningless fourth quarter just to be certain he made it to 40.

If the idea of opposing players shamelessly padding their stats wasn't humiliating enough for the Knicks to stomach, they can play back a tape of the first half and listen to the ovations Bryant was receiving from the Madison Square Garden crowd. And if the sound of the home crowd giving its love to an opposing player wasn't sickening enough, there's always the video of Monday night's lethargic loss to the Hawks to turn their collective stomachs inside-out.

"Their organization, it's a matter of being patient," Bryant said afterward, oozing with a false sincerity that fooled absolutely no one. "They'll get back to the top. This period they're going through now, though, it sucks."

When you've sat through the Felton Spencer/Travis Knight era, the "We Want Lampe" chants at the draft, the Don Chaney and Lenny Wilkens firings and countless mind-numbing Scott Layden press conferences, you have a whole different perspective on what sucks and what really sucks. But make no mistake, this is as sorry of an era as anything the franchise has been through lately. Possibly ever.

The degree of quit displayed by the Knicks against the Lakers was so disheartening that Brown got himself tossed by referee Steve Javie midway through the third quarter. Bryant had been parading to the free throw line all night, the discrepancy so glaring that the Knicks posted each team's attempted foul shots on the scoreboard each time one of the teams went to the line. The Lakers ended up with a 58-24 advantage from the line, meaning Kobe himself had more makes and attempts than the Knicks did as a whole.

Brown was serenaded with a chant of "Larry, Larry" as he exited through the tunnel and breezed past team president Isiah Thomas, whose days only get worse as his level of job security sinks along with his reputation. The sexual harassment allegations made against him by a former team executive kept the tabloids busy all last week, and the dirty laundry being slung by both sides resulted in a photo of Thomas' illegitimate "love child" adorning the front of the New York Post on Monday morning -- a prelude to Tuesday morning's back page screamer: "Kobe vs. Quitters."

Clearly, Thomas' second honeymoon is over, his days as Knicks president appearing numbered. Ironically, though, the sexual harassment case might have actually bought him some time. The thinking here is there's no way Cablevision owner James Dolan would sack Thomas at this point -- even using his failed basketball moves as the reasoning -- because of the effect it would have on the sexual harassment lawsuit.

But with the team barely treading water in the two-plus years since he arrived, with this year's draft pick already traded away (and next year's, too), it's not hard to foresee Thomas being shown the door the day after the regular season ends, with Dolan handing control over personnel matters to Brown. After all, Brown's the only person -- aside from Kobe, of course -- getting cheered at the Garden these days. Too bad he's having to get thrown out just to endear himself to the fans.

Maybe this really is rock bottom.

Chris Sheridan, a national NBA reporter for the past decade, covers the league for ESPN Insider.

[Edited by - Knight on 02-01-2006 08:26 AM]

boy, after reading that I need a mr earl pep talk. What.. no mention of QWoods.. the next great swingman in the NBA? No credit for finding diamond prospects such as Jackie B and Trevor Reezy? This is just hatin run amok!

While we are younger and more athletic, we are presently lower than anytime in the Layden era.

So we either beat on Isiah or just chaulk it off as this is as much of a rebuild as a Knick team could do and it always gets worse before it gets better.

I did somting I never have done before, I flipped over to watch the 4th period of the Nets-Pistons game where real men were waging a war worthy of praise. Kidd and Billups going at it like the professionals they are were a sight to behold and admire. After a bad West coast swing, the Nets pulled it together to beat the Pistons. Great game!

I want to watch good games. I can be patient, but the games got to be good. We lost plenty of games earlier this season and still say it was good and the team demostrated a new aspect to it that was not seen before. Now they just suck!

And the more they suck, the more Nates muchkin funnyman routine gets on my nerves!

Posted by fishmike:

I can live with losing when they play hard. You learn nothing from losing when your teammates quit. Its not like we have a bunch of young guys that dont know how to close games. We are getting smoked from get go. These guys are resigned to getting beat every night. If Penny was playing it would be like one of his old commercials. One Penny and four loafers

If guys aren't playing hard- and we have seen effort from this group- its not Isiah's fault unless you want to blame him for picking the coach.

Personally, I don't think it can get worse- unless its chicago using our #1 pick twice in the next two years as the top pick in the draft...

franco, some players play hard no matter where they are. Other take nights off and have their whole career. The problem is the guys we have that dont take nights off arent any good

The biggest problem is that the players are thinking too much, instead of just reacting. That can affect physical skills, make players look stupid, and make it appear that the effort isn't there.

As Kobe said after the game, Larry is still in the process of completely breaking them down in order to mold them to play basketball his way.

Posted by fishmike:

franco, some players play hard no matter where they are. Other take nights off and have their whole career. The problem is the guys we have that dont take nights off arent any good

what do you think Larry would do with Chaney's 37 win squad?

Larry is supposed to be a good teacher. I would expect if he was good, things like stupid turnovers would be happening less, not more.

Mo Taylor is earning his money, but the coach isn't.

You can't blame him for Q Rich being a total non factor, and you can't blame him for injuries.

But if your team doesn't know what you want from them, don't expect effort.

Its like parenting- if you're kid knows what your rules are- things are good- but if your schizophrenic (like LB & his rotations and his messages to the players), then you grow up a dysfunctional child.

what do you think Larry would do with Chaney's 37 win squad?

that squad would've made the playoffs that year.

You can't blame him for Q Rich being a total non factor, and you can't blame him for injuries.

does layden then get a free pass for the dice trade?

But if your team doesn't know what you want from them, don't expect effort.

all he asked for was effort, to protect the ball, and to rebound. we turn the ball over to a point of embarrassment. it's not like we're trying to make tough passes. we can't make a simple entry pass to the post. and we watch the ball bounce off the basket like it's a burning lump of coal and afraid to touch it. he even simplified the offense to make it easier and it didn't work.

lineups and rotations are shuffled around b/c they are not listening to what he's asking for. that comes from the players.

it's alot easier to fire one man (the coach) than it is to trade 15 but in this case, i'd rather have the one man than the 15 on the roster.

Posted by crzymdups:

waitaminute, you mean to tell me ESPN piled on the Knicks after a bad loss? I am shocked, SHOCKED by these allegations.

The Knicks are 14-30, have lost 9 of their last 10, got killed by a team that was 11-31, then lost at home by 33 points and all this sucking is for naught since the Bulls own their first round pick. What exactly is ESPN supposed to write about??? That things are great and Isiah is doing a great job since we're clearing on the verge of great things? All they're doing is writing what they see and calling a spade a spade.