TEAM OF REASON
How messed up are Nets when Knicks are most stable squad in town?
The Knicks represent the least dysfunctional team in tonight’s battle of New York. What a change of pace. Kyrie Irving going AWOL and apparently resurfacing in a video at a family birthday bash was just the latest twist of unnecessary drama surrounding the Nets, who have bent to the point guard’s every whim and media boycott. Sean Marks has sacrificed his title as Culture King by giving the keys to Kevin Durant and Irving. We’ll see if it’s worth it. Thus far, the Nets are 12-15 in games with Irving and 4-4 in games with Durant. That’s a whole lotta DNPs over two years and 88 games. Thank goodness they fired Kenny Atkinson because he supposedly couldn’t coach stars.
The Knicks, meanwhile, have been relatively drama-free with zero positive COVID tests or protocol violations or even contact tracing. They’re 5-6 with low expectations and will be judged on incremental progress, chugging along on a slow rebuilding train. Even if the front office’s larger plan isn’t clear, Tom Thibodeau has provided structure and an environment of accountability.
Backup Knicks guard Austin Rivers issued a State of the Union on Monday to quell concerns about the current three-game losing streak.
“We’re going to be all right. We’re 5-6. And look at the tough stretch we just went through? So you’ve got to ask yourself as a Knick fan or if you were covering us, would you take a 5-6 start considering we’ve got one of the toughest schedules in the league?” Rivers said. “So we’ve just got to keep building. Everybody just take a deep breath.”
Steve Nash, meanwhile, lost his star point guard last week. His team is 6-6 after Tuesday night’s victory over the Nuggets.
“I don’t know (what happened with Irving). I sent him a message,” Nash said before Irving’s first missed game. “I just found out. So I just sent him a message in the last half hour and haven’t
heard back yet.”
The Knicks are feeling what it’s like with the Nike on the other foot. For the last five years, they’ve dealt with disgruntled stars: Carmelo Anthony was feuding seemingly daily with Phil Jackson; Kristaps Porzingis bailed on his exit meeting; Derrick Rose bailed on a game; Joakim Noah was banished from the team after a shoving match with the coach.
Now the Nets are navigating the disorderly house. What hasn’t changed is the absence of a rivalry between the New York teams. They just haven’t been good enough, and it’s been 17 years since the Nets and Knicks met in the playoffs.
“Is it a rivalry? Who knows? That question I guess will be answered over the next, I guess the remaining of the season,” Rivers said. “Neither team has won a championship in quite some time. And I think we’re both obviously, we’re trying to build something here and they think they have a chance this year so that question will be answered in due time.”
But the question is different than expected heading into the first inter-borough matchup of the season. Whereas a few weeks ago the story might’ve been how Durant called the Knicks uncool and spurned them in free agency, today’s question is whether the Nets can get their act together.