The New York Knicks have problems that won't be easily solved, and it's a mystery to many why Isiah Thomas, the Knicks President of Basketball Operations and the one who's perhaps most responsible for piecing their current lineup together, has not yet been fired.
Despite having the second highest payroll in the NBA (they had the highest payroll just a year ago), the Knicks have an abysmal 13-28 record, which is good enough for last place in the Atlantic Division and second to last in the entire Eastern Conference. They are outscored by opponents by average of 6.4 ppg (fourth worst in the league), and get outshot from the field by 3.9% (worst in the league).
The Knicks' interior defense is a joke, despite having a 6-11 285-pound center (Eddy Curry) and a 6-9 260-pound power forward (Zach Randolph) to clog the lane. Curry is often considered a waste of talent. With his size to his advantage, expectations have been high over the years and some have even compared him to a poor man's Shaquille O'Neal. Yet, with a career average of just 5.4 rbpg in 26 minutes per game and a season average of 5.2 rbpg in 27 minutes per game, Curry is more mouse than muscle and frequently opts to make a lazy foul on a penetrating opponent rather than play straight up defense to protect the middle. Randolph isn't much better, and though both are skilled at the offensive end, Curry is far too passive and Randolph has little understanding of what it means to move the ball around. Once the ball goes on the block to Randolph, it's unlikely that it will ever be kicked back out. Curry's not skilled at passing out of the paint either, which has become a lost art for many NBA centers. As a result, the two have a less-than-desirable assist-to-turnover ratio. Combined they average a 2.4 apg and 5.1 topg.
New York also lacks spot-shooters, or players who can hit outside shots without putting the ball on the floor to get a rhythm. Jamal Crawford is an effective perimeter shooter when hot, but he tends to get his shots more in transition. The team's best perimeter shooters are Stephon Marbury (37.8% from three-point range), but he's out for an indefinite amount of time, and Nate Robinson (37.5% from three-point range). The Knicks as a team shoot just 33.3% from beyond the arc (sixth worst in the league), making just 5.7 threes per game. Not having a consistent perimeter game can make it tougher for inside players to perform, as opposing teams tend to pack in its defense if there's little threat on the perimeter. Another factor is that Marbury was the best player on the team at passing the ball into the post and he may be out for the rest of the season. Crawford is still learning how to make that pass on a consistent basis.
On a positive note, the Knicks could drop as much as $22 million after the 2008-2009 season. Though, given Thomas' track record of over-paying big name players and not acquiring players to fill necessary voids in the Knicks' lineup, it may be for naught. It's still puzzling that he has his job when past coaches and presidents have been fired for making smaller mistakes. For the time being, it seems like troubled times will persist for Knicks basketball.
