Jesse Heussner ’11
Staff Writer

It’s time to consider the Knicks. I’ve started many columns to try and illustrate the team, but each time I try, I get screwed and end up throwing it away

After their 2-1 start, I was ready to write a rare, optimistic article glowing about the rejuvenated Knicks.

The format was done, and I even had a clever introduction written. (A rarity considering my time management is troubling at best)

Man, was I hyped. I tuned on the Knicks game, ready to see the Knicks in full focus after winning a thriller two nights before against the Denver Nuggets. Unfortunately, what I saw was a team resembling the 20-and-30-win Knicks of previous seasons.

Though just losing by two at halftime to the Orlando Magic, the Knicks were lethargic and out of sync against a Magic team who probably couldn’t defend our freshman basketball team. Unfortunately for the Knicks, Orlando’s lack of defense couldn’t even compare to there own incompetence on the offensive side of the floor.

This trend continued, as the Knicks wounded up losing by 10, a truly dismal performance.

Alright, I was thinking, just one bad game. Let the article be, let’s just wait for a win.

Sunday, 6:00, I had just finished a grueling day of homework (notice my keen sense of time management), and was again hyped for the game, this time expecting nothing except a win against the 0-5 Heat.

The Knicks not only lost but managed to score a whopping 72 points in the process. Once again, I’m disappointed. Wait no, wrong word choice. How about furious?

Honestly, how can you possibly score 72 points against the Miami Heat? Not only were they without Dwayne Wade, but the Heat were starting Penny Hardaway who, before the game, was last seen checking into a senior center.

After this disaster, my optimism was somehow still in tact, thinking that the only place the Knicks could go was up.

Once again, I’m wrong.

I come back from class Tuesday only to hear one of the funniest clips I’ve ever heard on the radio.

“Knicks point guard Stephon Marbury has flown back to New York after being told he will not start against the Phoenix Suns. Marbury also says that he doubts he will be playing against L.A either.”

Alright, come on. This has to be a joke right?

Nope.

Marbury missed the Knicks get trampled by the Suns on Tuesday, and even threatened Knicks coach Isiah Thomas by saying that he has a lot of “dirt” on him.

This leads me to my next point, as this is a perfect example of the ineptitude of the Knicks. Marbury, who is supposed to be the Knicks captain and leader, leaves the team because he isn’t starting?

That alone is utterly ridiculous considering Marbury is making 18 million dollars a year when he shouldn’t even be making ½ that (actually, scratch that, ¼ that). I mean the least he could do is show up.

NEWSFLASH: Marbury is not the best point guard in the league. In fact, he’s not even the best point guard on his own team. Not to mention the fact that his “me-first” attitude has resulted in a mediocre 6.3 assists, a steep regression from previous years, it is absolutely ludicrous that he pulls a stunt like this.

Within this lies the Knicks number one problem: a lack of consistency and a lack of character. With every good game the Knicks play comes three bad games, and with every positive comes a story that rips the team in half.

This 6-13 start has finally taken me to the dark side; this team HAS to be blown apart. The management, coaching, and players all have to change in order for a new era to succeed in New York. The Knicks just have too many players that can’t lead or win. Stephon Marbury has rarely made the playoffs in his long NBA career, and Knicks stars Eddy Curry and Jamal Crawford have not even played in a playoff game. The Knicks need to add more hardnosed players of the likes of David Lee and Renaldo Balkman, but it doesn’t look like they’re inclined to do so.

I do know one thing: this Knicks fan is no optimist anymore, as this team has all but sealed their fait as a perennial lottery team.

Oh, and sorry for the rant. The Knicks season is not only ruined, but my columns were as well, so what was supposed to be a prelude, turned into 800+ words of ranting. Let us at least hope (actually, pray would probably be more fitting) that the Knicks can reverse their misfortune. However, it still looks like the only thing the Knicks are trying to do is bolster the only title they have won in 35 years: the laughing stock of the NBA.