Chumps still don’t get point
CLEVELAND — This city finally got to raise a championship banner on Tuesday, a ceremony that was 52 years in the making. LeBron James got another ring, saluted the crowd and then began his quest for a repeat.
These are indeed special days for Cleveland. (For the record, that is the first time in history that sentence has ever been written.) The Cavs are defending champions and right next door the Cleveland Indians are in the World Series looking to end their own championship drought.
A long time ago, New York had an even better run. Beginning with Joe Namath delivering on his Super Bowl on Jan. 12, 1969, the Jets, Mets and Knicks all won championships over a 17-month span. Yes, this actually happened. Look it up. Three years later, the Knicks won again although it feels like another lifetime ago. Forty-three years and counting to be exact.
And as long as LeBron stays healthy, the Knicks title drought could make it all the way to 50.
The rule of thumb in the NBA is never jump to conclusions after one game. That’s the good news for Phil Jackson and his revamped roster following Tuesday’s less than inspiring 117-88 loss to the defending champs.
It is a long season. Injuries happen, trades happen and teams get better. For the Knicks’ sake, they have to hope the latter is true. Phil’s expensive makeover resulted in one ugly look.
Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Courtney Lee and Brandon Jennings shot a combined 8-for-30 and scored 24 points. Or five fewer than Kyrie Irving. Noah and Lee were both shut out and Jennings never danced once. He just missed a lot.
To be fair, Jeff Hornacek’s regular starting five made its debut on Tuesday following an uneven preseason that saw Rose miss all but one game while on trial in Los Angeles in a civil case. He tried to make up for lost time all in one night. Big mistake.
When it comes to beating the Cavs, the Knicks have a LeBron problem as well as a Kyrie problem. The point guard from West Orange, N.J., who is responsible for the biggest shot in franchise history, performed like an MVP.
Irving is entering his prime while Rose is trying to recapture his brilliant past in a contract year. That’s a scary combination. If I’m Hornacek I’d introduce Rose to Kristaps Porzingis before every game. On Tuesday, Porzingis played just as many minutes as Rose and took four fewer shots. Even if Rose admitted that the triangle is complicated, the Knicks mission statement is simple: This is about developing Porzingis and not Rose’s pending free agency.
The sooner the point guard understands that, the better the Knicks will become. Carmelo Anthony can still score, mostly in isolations. But he doesn’t move like he once did, especially on the defensive end. By the midpoint of the season, Hornacek would be better served to feature Porzingis more in the offense.
That doesn’t mean that Carmelo and Rose should not try to beat the defense in transition. But not at the expense of Porzingis. If the Knicks want to be a team to be taken seriously, they need to commit to making Porzingis more of a focal point.
The Cavs have it figured out. LeBron, who is still the best player on the planet, recorded a tripledouble in 32 minutes: 19 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds. It was the 43rd triple double of his career. Rose and Carmelo combined for eight rebounds and four assists.
LeBron has played 199 playoff games. He understands the importance of having a second star like Kyrie and allowing him to carry the team on some nights. After three quarters, Carmelo had taken 16 shots, Rose 15 and Porzingis 11.
Rose may want to reconsider calling the Knicks a “Super Team.”
“I know teams switch and pick up new coaches or new players, and their whole goal is kind of they want to beat me,” James told cleveland.com earlier this week. “It’s never just about me, but I always hear them saying, ‘We gotta beat LeBron.’
“It’s not just me on the court, but I understand that teams get together in this conference and across the league to try to beat me.”
That’s the Knicks’ goal. Carmelo, Rose and Joakim Noah have never beaten LeBron in a playoff series. At this rate, they may not get another chance.