Race to Respectability: Have Knicks Topped out While Lakers Recalibrate?
The 14-18 New York Knicks and 5-26 Los Angeles Lakers would like to believe they're the two most important franchises in the NBA, but let's be honest: It's been a while since the rest of the league looked at either team as much more than a minor annoyance. Last season was an embarrassment that fans in L.A. and New York are eager to forget.
So, the race is on to see which of these storied franchises will return to respectability first. Lakers featured columnist David Murphy and I are documenting this race in a monthly, season-long series.
When we kicked it off last month, the Lakers were 2-11, D'Angelo Russell was complaining to the press and Kobe Bryant had admitted he sucked. The Knicks were 8-6, coming off a four-win streak and Kristaps Porzingis was hearing his name cheered by the crowds at Madison Square Garden. Murphy and I agreed that the Knicks were definitely way ahead of the Lakers.
Since then, though, Kobe announced this would be his final season, and the Lakers, though not racking up wins, seem spiritually buoyed by the glory of his farewell tour. Meanwhile on the East coast, Porzingis slipped into a slump, and the Knicks went on a 6-12 skid.
So, who's ahead now? Has this become a Tortoise and the Tortoise race?
Can we still point the finger at head coach Byron Scott for everything that ails the Lakers? After all, his demotions of Russell and Julius Randle kinda, sorta worked, right?
No, we can’t single him out for everything. The front office and the players themselves also bear responsibility. But it is fair to call Scott out for what he is—an unimaginative, unyielding coach whose time has passed.
This is Scott’s sixth losing season in a row. Granted, the current debacle isn’t over yet. But if it were to end tomorrow, it would go down as the Lakers' worst campaign in franchise history, coming on the heels of their previous nadir.
As for whether pulling D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle from the starting lineup is contributing much to their development, I remain unconvinced of that.
Ultimately, a coach’s job is to lead and inspire, to adapt and succeed. And there hasn’t been a shred of evidence to suggest Scott is the guy to lead L.A. back to championship contention. I would be stunned to see him brought back in the fall. — Murphy
Your assessment of Scott is hard but fair. I do, however, think that bench time can be very educational—both for improving skills and checking egos. — Peters
Porzingis' ceiling just keeps looking better and better. Is he the biggest steal of the 2015 draft, and the "luckiest" pick by the Knicks since Ewing? Bigger than Ewing?
I don't think a top-five pick could be considered a "steal," but the Knicks and Phil Jackson most definitely got lucky.
Patrick Ewing was the player all teams were drooling over in 1985; the clear choice for New York when they got the No. 1 pick. Porzingis, meanwhile, was a high-risk, high-reward selection. The Knicks gambled, expecting it would be a few seasons before they knew if they'd won or lost.
Thirty games into season one, the gamble is already paying off. It restored confidence in Jackson and gave New York a strong base to build a future upon.
So the success of the Porzingis pick is definitely more surprising than Ewing in '85, but will Porzingis be better than Ewing? I won't dare make that prediction yet. But Ewing himself has said, per the New York Post's Marc Berman, that KP is "a force to be reckoned with."
Those words, plus Porzingis' performances on both ends of the court thus far, make the "better than Ewing" question a reasonable one, and there's no higher praise than that. — Peters
Kobe's farewell tour has taken a welcomed turn by incorporating a bit more substance versus poorly styled shooting outbursts. Is it actually helping the Lakers, though?
The tour gives basketball fans at home and across the country one last chance to witness one of the game's true giants. So from a point of pure entertainment value, there’s a benefit.
But there is also a more intimate impact on his own teammates, especially young and developing players who idolized Bryant growing up. Now, they get to witness his work ethic and intensity up close and personal. For impressionable rookies like Russell, this can be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
And Bryant is encouraging the kids to step into the breach.
“I'm really wanting to let the young guys, especially D'Angelo, let him call the game,” Bryant recently said, per Baxter Holmes for ESPN. “Let him call the game. Let him organize the game. Let him read the game. Let him read the flow. Let him make those decisions.”
There are no more championships awaiting Bryant. But he can still leave a positive impact on the only NBA team he’s ever played for—and he seems to be doing exactly that. — Murphy
What's holding this Knicks team back from being a low seed this year?
For the billionth time, I'll say the Knicks settle for too many mid-range jump shots—particularly problematic since they're one of the least efficient shooting teams in the league. That rampant jump shooting coupled with a slow pace is why New York is being slaughtered in the paint.
On average, opponents outscore the Knicks in the paint by 10.5 points per game. Although the interior defense isn't spectacular, the bigger problem is lack of offense inside. Neither of the starting big men (Porzingis and Robin Lopez) are strong in the post, and their starting point guard, Jose Calderon, is not a dribble-drive scorer.
KP could help the cause by developing a hook shot. Calderon could help by pushing the pace in transition, feeding the ball to players who are strong in the post, like Carmelo Anthony and Arron Afflalo, or surrendering his position to a guard who isn't afraid of making layups.
Another challenge for the Knicks is simply that the East is very tight. Ten teams in the conference have winning records, and the No. 2 and No. 8 seeds are only two games apart. For New York to make the playoffs, other teams will need to start making mistakes. — Peters
Even though Russell is to man the starting PG position eventually, should the Lakers match all offers for Jordan Clarkson when he becomes a restricted FA this summer?
Yes, they have to bring this guy back—he’s following up his All-Rookie First Team honors with another great season. That said, coming to an agreement can be tricky, due to the complicated Arenas Provision Umbrella in the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
As Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times recently wrote, L.A. can use early bird rights to offer Clarkson $6 million in the first year and a total of around $26.7 million over four years. Or, it matches what another team could offer through the Arenas rule; no more than $5.628 million and $5.9 million for years one and two, with a huge jump up to $22.7 million and $23.6 million in the third and fourth seasons, respectively.
Whatever choice management makes, it cannot let Clarkson walk. He’s an aggressive, multi-positional, young talent who can score at will. If he can become an elite defender as well, he’ll be invaluable. — Murphy
I wanted the Knicks to draft Jordan Clarkson in 2014, so I was particularly devastated when the hated Lakers nabbed him. If L.A. is foolish enough to let him go, I wouldn't mind having another look. — Peters
What’s your take on ex-Laker stalwart Derek Fisher, almost halfway through his second season as a head coach?
Fish is the right man for creating the culture Phil Jackson wants. He's established standards for work ethic, poise and a team-first approach that all young players need to learn and even Carmelo Anthony has embraced. If his altercation with Matt Barnes in the offseason has hurt his reputation with those players, there is no evidence of it on the sidelines.
However, I'm not ready to call Fisher's appointment a complete success yet. For one, he seems to expect all players to be as self-motivated as he was, but some may need more pep talks or tough love from their coach. Panicky fourth-quarter collapses, shooting slumps and sluggish transition offenses might all be aided by a few more words.
He can also be indecisive.
I'm less critical than most of Fisher's unpredictable lineups. I like that his rotations are guided by game-time realities like who's tired, who's got the hot hand or who's the most effective matchup. That won't be the same group every time, particularly on this Knicks team, when many players are inconsistent. Yet, I'm frustrated with him for talking about changing the starting lineup, talking about it some more and then leaving it as is. — Peters
I’m glad D-Fish is getting his shot—he was the Lakers’ longtime voice of conscience and a logical extension of Jackson’s coaching philosophy. — Murphy
Concluding Remarks
So, New York is still ahead of L.A. as we enter 2016, but the mood has changed. After a quick start, Knicks fans are already demanding a playoff run this season but are anxious they won't achieve it. Lakers fans, meanwhile, may enjoy coasting through the Kobe farewell tour, then dumping Scott and starting fresh with a new coach and a fuller wallet.
We'll check back in with these two in early February...
All stats and records courtesy of NBA.com/stats and up-to-date as of Dec. 28. Follow Sara Peters on Twitter @3FromThe7 and David Murphy @davem234.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
