How do you solve a problem like the Knicks?
The Knicks are systemically problematic. Every season unearths something new, if not bizarre. Fired coaches, useless executives, and a complete (self-referential) joke of a team owner in James Dolan have always set the tone for what unfolds on the hardwood.
The fruitless trades, free agency mishaps, and draft idiocy year after year derail the prospects of development and building towards a winning future. Sexual harassment behind closed doors has shown that the men in charge are less interested in winning than they are in making women feel unsafe and unwelcome.
The continual mismanagement of big-market resources has morphed Madison Square Garden into a tour date for visiting superstars, rather than the intimidating home court it once was. A perennial lack of trust between the organization and its players pushed Carmelo Anthony out, and has deterred big-time free agents from coming in. Dolan is no Steve Ballmer, proving time and again that he has zero interest in the day-to-day operations of his team.
An embarrassing mess. Slash-and-burn rebuilds that never quite stop burning. This is how we’ve come to understand the New York Knicks. If they can’t rewrite their narrative soon, then what’s truly the purpose of this team?