New York Knicks Fail To Know Thy Selves

The Mecca was buzzing even before the buzzer sounded for intermission in Friday night's tilt between the Milwaukee Bucks and the New York Knicks.

With newly-installed starter Nate Robinson at the wheel the Knicks had rolled off 33 second-quarter points to turn a 10-point deficit into a five-point margin at the break. All-Star snub David Lee was continuing his "I Told Ya So" roll and had already hung 19 points on the Bucks, who had lost center Andrew Bogut to a migraine.

With the Aussie big man—who had looked primed for a bust-out night before being felled by the migraine—out of commission it looked like the Knicks would roll in the second half, especially since Milwaukee's precocious first-year point guard Brandon Jennings was struggling mightily from the field in his Garden debut.

Like many hoops adherents before him, Jennings had come to the Seventh and 33rd looking for validation, like a pilgrim coming to the oracle at Delphi awaiting a prophecy of success in arms. 

As Lee headed into the tunnel at the half, MSG Network broadcaster Al Trautwig asked him about Jennings' pregame prediction that he would make the Knicks regret passing on him in the 2009 NBA Draft. 

"I didn't know that was something that he had talked about," Lee told Trautwig. "Well, he needs to do a better job in the second half."

This wry dig at the flat-topped youngster—who came off the draft board a few selections after the Knicks tapped Jordan Hill—showed Lee is nearly as good at improvising on camera as he is when heading to the rack. But it was something that he said just before Trautwig asked him about Jennings that foretold the Knicks' eventual 114-107 loss. 

When asked by Trautwig about his squad's slow start and halftime lead, Lee said:

"You know, they're tough to get used to. Uh, you know, how hard they play, they are similar to Charlotte. Like, they may not have the best talent in the league but they really lay it on the line, especially defensively. And that's a Scott Skiles-coached team. That's what they usually do. So, it was tough to get adjusted, but then we did better."

According to Lee, the Knicks struggled with the elbow-grease-and-floor-burns approach of Skiles' Bucks but eventually took control because of their superior talent and shot-making ability.

Embedded in Lee's offhand comment to Trautwig is the key reason that this group of Knickerbockers isn't hovering around the .500 mark and in contention for the five spot in the Eastern Conference.

Mike D'Antoni's Knicks do not see themselves as a team "like Charlotte." Or Milwaukee. Both of whom are ahead of them in the standings. These Knicks don't seem themselves as an under-talented team that needs to be reliant on superior hustle and effort.

Under the ever-taciturn Larry Brown and perpetually-peeved Scott Skiles, respectively, the Bobcats and Bucks have embraced their flaws and by virtue of some alchemical coaching have turned those flaws into strengths. The Bobcats and Bucks recognize that, as Lee noted, they are not the most talented groups in the Association.

They don't talk about confidence and trusting in their talent. They just try to win each game as it's being played, by trying harder than the other team, by simply trying to stop the other team from scoring. Their concern is not about being a "better" team than their opponent it's just about winning tonight's game.

And in the workaday lives of NBA players, superior effort can trump superior talent on many nights. Save for the upper echelon of title contenders most games can be had by the team that simply tries harder.

That sounds trite and simplistic, but it's very much the case in the bottom half of the Eastern Conference. It was the case in the third and fourth quarters on Friday night as the Bucks frenetically flew around the court. Yet, D'Antoni's Knicks have not embraced this theory because they still have a mistaken view of where they fit into the NBA puzzle.

Anyone coming to visit the Oracle at Delphi in Ancient Greece was greeted by the phrase "Gnothi seauton," which was inscribed in the forecourt of the Temple of Apollo. This ancient Greek aphorism means "Know Thyself." For those who look to more modern sources for philosophical guidance, this phrase also appeared above the Oracle's door in The Matrix .

Under Mike D'Antoni, the Knicks do not know themselves. They need to realize that they are more "like Charlotte" than they would have liked. They also need to focus on effort rather than skill. They need to recognize their mediocrity and stop trusting that wins will come by virtue of talent and confidence.

Thanks to such a realpolitik view of the game, Brown's Bobcats rank near the top of the NBA in points allowed (94.0, which is 0.3 behind the league leaders) and have a 91.9 percent chance of reaching the postseason according to John Hollinger's Playoff Odds over at the Worldwide Leader.

After last night's loss to Milwaukee, the Knicks have a 0.7% chance of playoff hoops this year. Yet, Lee still talks condescendingly about teams "like Charlotte." Not surprisingly, the Knicks' hot run in December that catapulted them back into the playoff race was made possible by superior defensive effort. Back when they were playing "like Charlotte."

David Lee and the Knicks coaching staff will not get this team turned around until they admit exactly who they are. Until they know themselves.