That’s certainly one way to end playoff chatter
P ERHAPS Derek Fisher is right after all. Maybe any notion the Knicks might actually contend for a playoff berth is too big to dream right now.
Not only are the Knicks not in the class of the defending champion Warriors, as evidenced over the weekend, they also lack the physical and mental makeup to hang with the Celtics, the type of team the Knicks might need to hurdle if any notion of making the postseason ever comes close to being a realistic possibility.
If each game is an opportunity to learn something new, the Knicks found out Tuesday they still haven’t gotten far enough long in their “process” to win the kind of game that could have pumped some muchneeded positive energy into their season. After being competitive for most the game against the Celtics (2822), the Knicks (2328) wilted in crunch time, watching a threepoint deficit with 7:36 to play expand to doubledigits before the Boston settled for 9789 victory at the Garden.
“Teams have more guys who can come in and impact the game,” Fisher said after the Knicks suffered the eighth loss in their last 11 games. “We couldn’t find a combination of guys who could sustain at both ends.”
Fisher made it clear before the game he doesn’t want to talk about the Knicks’ chances of making a surprise run for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. In his opinion, it’s much too soon for that.
“We should not view it as if we’re chasing someone else,” he said. “We have to play these games focused on the things we need to do. With 30 or however many games that are left, you can’t start counting every win or loss in terms of this playoff thing.”
No need to worry about any of that just now. The Knicks are still trying to figure out how to establish some consistency. They started fast against the Celtics, jumping to a 90 lead, and played aggressive and determined for three quarters. Then they turned soft as tissue in the closing moments.
If by some miracle, the Knicks are within shouting distance of a playoff berth come spring, then maybe it can serve as motivation and not intimidation. Maybe there will come a time when results are just as important as the process. But that won’t happen this season if the Knicks continue to play as they did Tuesday night, shooting 37.8 percent from the field and committing 16 turnovers.
At this rate, there’s no reason to mention the playoffs.
“Focusing on the process is more important than the result,” Fisher said. “I think in recent weeks as the noise has picked up about what we might be able to do three or four months from now, we’ve had some slippage in terms of focusing on just one day at a time. It happens as you’re growing and developing. Sometimes success is just as hard to manage as not having success.”
First the Knicks must start having some success to manage. Clearly, it is too soon to dream about May Madness. The schedule hasn’t gotten to the AllStar Game yet. There’s plenty of time for the Knicks to prove whether they have the talent, mental makeup and enough magical moments to still be in the hunt come March and April. But truth is, the Knicks could easily get worse before they get better unless they figure out how to put four quarters together.
“We’re in a tough part of our season,” Fisher said. “But there aren’t any excuses or explanations other than not getting the job done.”
It’s fine to talk about the process for now. But at some point talking about the playoffs has to be a source of motivation and not intimidation.