New York Knicks: NY is stuck between the 76ers, Celtics; So what’s next?

BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 24: Shane Larkin #8 of the Boston Celtics and Semi Ojeleye #37 celebrate during a New York Knicks time out in the first half at TD Garden on October 24, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 24: Shane Larkin #8 of the Boston Celtics and Semi Ojeleye #37 celebrate during a New York Knicks time out in the first half at TD Garden on October 24, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
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NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 10: New York Knicks President Steve Mills speaks at the unveiling of the Knicks’ jersey sponsorship with Squarespace at Madison Square Garden on October 10, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 10: New York Knicks President Steve Mills speaks at the unveiling of the Knicks’ jersey sponsorship with Squarespace at Madison Square Garden on October 10, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

The power within

Team president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry have engineered a rebuild largely invisible to the casual fan. With the exodus of triangle-obsessed president Phil Jackson came reality: New York basketball needs help, now. The Knicks begged structure, consistency, and an enduring front office. So Perry and Mills went to work in summer 2017, dedicating the offseason to recalibrating their roster of executives.

By pursuing one of the “most efficient, well-run, cohesive staffs in the league“, Mills and Perry have flipped the very thesis of the millennial Knicks on its head. With the restoration of front office peace, the Knicks have taken a giant leap toward team success. And in the Knicks’ case, team success doesn’t necessarily mean W’s. Not yet, at least.

Perry has remarked that long-suffering Knicks fans often approach him and Mills with a plea with a certain theme: “Don’t try to fix this quickly. Fix it the right way.”

Knicks’ faithful aren’t necessarily asking for a Manhattan-style Process, but the scorned fanbase understands that there are no cheat codes here. The Knicks need therapy.