A New York Knicks Minute (11/7): Rose Booed in Chicago, Melo Tired of Triangle
Gregory J. Fisher, USATSI

A New York Knicks Minute brings you weekly Knicks’ news, notes, and unique takes all season long, exclusively on ESNY.

  • New York Knicks
  • 2-4 (1-2 H, 1-2 A)
  • 3rd Atlantic division, 12th Eastern Conference
Whether the New York Knicks run the triangle, rectangle or rhombus, one thing is obvious: they have to stop the other team from scoring more than them. Six games into the 2016-2017 season, they’ve only done that twice. Derrick Rose knows a thing or two about defense, having played under Tom Thibodeau in Chicago.

“Our defense is everything with this team, nothing else,” he said, via Ian Begley of ESPN. “We’re going to find spots to really play our game. It’s defensively, everybody playing on a string, everybody communicating, and everybody being on the same page [that is important].”

All very true. The problem is he said this after another loss, this one to the Utah Jazz, in which the Knicks gave up 114 points. They’re giving up 110.9 points per game, dead last in the NBA.

Rose can be as on board with head coach Jeff Hornacek‘s defensive approach as wants to be, it’s all lip service until the Knicks show otherwise. If I could jump eight inches higher, I’d still be able to dunk a basketball. I said what I’d need to do, that doesn’t mean I can do it.

With that said, the NBA season is an 82-game marathon. One would assume the Knicks will improve as the season goes on. Having allowed at least 104 points in every game thus far, however, there isn’t a trace of evidence to support that assumption.

A New York Knicks Minute

Derrick Rose getting booed in Chicago was weird. It happens all the time: player X leaves team comes back with his new team and fans boo whenever he touches the ball. If they care that much anyway — no one flinched when Seth Curry went from Sacramento to Dallas.

But Rose isn’t just an ex-player, he was born and raised in Chicago. He blew out his knee (twice) and broke his face (literally) carrying the Bulls back to relevance. Cold world.

Carmelo Anthony is sick and tired of talking about the triangle. That makes all of us. Shout out to Kenny Ducey on the transcript:

Triangle might be the most mentioned term associated with the Knicks since Phil Jackson came on as team president. Words like ‘winning’ haven’t had the same visibility (unless preceded by not). Why Jackson’s coaching philosophy is forced on the head coaches he hires is beyond me, but it’s definitely time to change the narrative.

This Week

  • vs. Brooklyn Nets (11/9)
  • @ Boston Celtics (11/11)
  • @ Toronto Raptors (11/12)