Fandom Check: The Current State of New York Basketball
Ahead of the first game where the Nets take on the Knicks, Ben Diamond and Ben Jacob go back and forth with their thoughts on how both teams look thus far and what to expect from them going forward.
On the Knicks
Ben Diamond: Never would I have expected to be writing about a 5-6 Knicks team leading up to their first matchup with the crosstown rivals. We all know the game vs. the Nets was only scheduled to be on ESPN because of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, but it’s certainly a pleasant surprise that New York’s basketball team has caught the attention of the entire league, and this should be a great matchup. Sure, they’ve come back to Earth a bit since their three-game winning streak, but they’ve faced one of the toughest schedules in the league so far, and wins over the Bucks, Pacers, and Jazz are nothing to laugh at. Julius Randle has been a revelation in the early-goings of this strange NBA season, leading the team in points, assists, and rebounds, and playing at an All-Star (maybe even All-NBA level). For a fan base that was pleading all off-season to trade Randle, it’s been amazing to see everyone eat crow, and fall in love with the point forward. Lastly, this start for the squad cannot be raved about without mentioning coach Tom Thibodeau. He’s lived up to his billing as a no-nonsense commander, and for a franchise that has been a laughingstock for most of the last 20 years, his attitude and passion are a breath of fresh air. So far, the players have bought in, and fingers crossed that continues, regardless of the results.
ME SMACKED OUTTA MY CEREBRAL: 🗣🗣🗣EMESSJEEEIZZDAGAYMUHDAWEEEEEKKKKK!!!! https://t.co/XiCtsOQRYK
— THE KID MERO (@THEKIDMERO) January 8, 2021
Ben Jacob: I’ve gotta say even as a self-proclaimed Knicks hater it has been fun to watch this team. Like many New York franchises of late, the bar has been set so low that competency is met by avid fan reactions. The disappointing part of not being able to have fans rocking in MSG is being countered by an audience on NBA Twitter that has a fervor for this well-coached, hard-nosed team. While it still feels like this squad might be destined for the play-in tournament as we get further down the road this season, some boxes are being checked that the Knicks faithful hasn’t seen in years.
BD: I’m happy to hear that news of the Knicks looking competent has crossed the East River, because I was starting to fear I was living through a fever dream, and none of this was real. But you’re so right: the lack of fans at Madison Square Garden may be the most disappointing thing about this season so far. No, it’s not RJ Barrett’s rough start from beyond the 3 point line. Some have jokingly said that for the Knicks to be good again, the world would have to be bad. I fear we’re seeing this come to fruition. Knicks Twitter will hold it down until fans can be back in the World’s Most Famous Arena showering Randle in “MVP” chants. That, by the way, is a sentence I would never have imagined writing, ever. I’m excited about the first Knicks/Nets matchup and hope this can become a rivalry of sorts. Crazier things have certainly happened.
On the Nets
BJ: So the start of the season hasn’t gone quite as planned, being 6-6 through the first twelve games of the season. Nets fans should have anticipated some bumps in the road as it takes time for pieces to gel, however, the bumps have come a bit earlier than anticipated. In what continues to progress as a wacky season, cohesiveness has not been attainable thus far for this Nets roster. Spencer Dinwiddie was lost for the season early on, KD had to miss a few games due to COVID, and Kyrie is currently MIA. The Kyrie Irving story is clearly impacting the dyanmic of the team from the coaching staff to the players having to answer for what is going on; if Irving is going through something during what is a strange season that should be respected by fans and teammates alike, but he should let people within the orgnization know what’s going on. This roster has shown flashes of what it can look like when it all comes together, and I am very optimistic that as the season comes along the team will start to look more and more together as time goes on. Steve Nash is making rookie coaching mistakes with substitutions, use of timeouts, and general adjustments while players like Caris LeVert, Landry Shamet, DeAndre Jordan, and others look lost some night trying to make use of the limited touches they get while KD and Kyrie are out on the floor. These growing pains are part of the process of a team in their first season together. Irving stated a similar sentiment after the team’s recent loss to the Wizards, “It’s just taking time. And it’s not going to be put together overnight… The object of this regular season is to continue to get better and to prepare for the 16 wins in the playoffs.” Nets fans, things will be just fine; the goal of the regular season should be to work through what is an adjustment year for players and coaches so the team can be positioned to get hot at the right time towards the end of the season. The team knows they need to play better and with more effort, I expect to see that displayed on the floor tonight in a game that is meaningful to each teams’ trajectory with the added motivation of what a win would mean to the conversation across New York basketball fans.
Steve Nash saying he wants the Brooklyn Nets offense to look part art and part science pic.twitter.com/z6Bgfrq610
— Concrete New York 🗽 (@concretenewyork) December 25, 2020
BD: Nets fans have already been on a rollercoaster of emotions in this young NBA season. After those initial blowout victories on prime time, it felt like everyone was crowning the Nets as the Eastern Conference champs! Now, a cold splash of reality has set in, and as an outside observer, I’m really curious to see how Coach Nash responds. It’s been great to see KD back on the court, and looking like he hasn’t lost a step. Any basketball fan should love that. The best thing about the games KD and Kyrie have missed is that Caris LeVert could get back on track and flex his muscle a bit because, before those recent games, he was ice cold from the field. I’m curious, Ben, if you think the Knicks’ surprising start was deflating for the Nets and their fan base. Heading into the season, they figured to dominate the headlines and the spotlight, and to the shock of everyone, they’ve had to share it so far. Is that just the cheeky Knicks fan in me thinking that way or is there some legitimacy to that?
BJ: The Knicks hot start is definitely a factor in the tampered Nets buzz. Most fans probably would have assumed the Nets would be at the top of the standings, while the Knicks would be towards the bottom (albeit in a less embarrassing fashion than past seasons). The early run of success for the Knicks just goes to show their popularity in New York as well as the challenge that Brooklyn will face to gain relevance in this city.