After just one NBA contest, I’ve yet again talked myself into the New York Knicks resembling a good basketball squad.
Every year. Every damn year I tell myself not to get high on the New York Knicks.
I say to myself, “Come on man, you know this story. You convince yourself the Knicks are good and they back it up just long enough for it to really sink in. The minute you start looking at playoff rankings is the minute they crush your soul.”
I promised myself again this year that I would temper my expectations with the Knicks. They’re the youngest roster in the league, their best player, Kristaps Porzingis, still has no timetable on a return, and they play the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia Sixers far too often for my taste.
That promise I made to myself lasted about a quarter and a half into game number one. I am officially throwing that promise out the window and going on the record with my opinion on the matter.
The New York Knicks are good this year. I am ready to put my soul on the line once again.
The Knicks played more defense in their first game than they played in the entirety of the 2017-18 season. They played with more energy than I’ve seen at MSG since 2013. David Fizdale had everyone on the court and in the stands ready to run through a brick wall for him.
This isn’t our year as Knicks fans, though. They aren’t ready to make a playoff run. They aren’t going to be able to compete with the top teams in the league. The Knicks are constructed to be a winning team a few years down the line, but they are not going to be the dumpster fire that everyone always predicts them to be.
They are going to play hard every game and claw out a lot more than the 29 projected wins that are anticipated. It’s only been one game but I’m already all in on a run for a playoff spot for the first time since 2013.
Here are some of the moments that made me realize that this is the best team the Knicks have showcased in years:
Allonzo Trier just did this … #NewYorkForeverpic.twitter.com/ddOsT9MFyV
— Elite Sports NY (@EliteSportsNY) October 18, 2018
Anything about undrafted guards with a huge dunk bring back good memories?
Defense leads to the best kind of fast break there is, the one in which the ball NEVER hits the floor. THJ finishes. #NewYorkForever @dwsmall8 @geoff_boy_ardee @ChipperMurphy @JBsWorld3286 pic.twitter.com/OgaR6vNcke
— Elite Sports NY (@EliteSportsNY) October 18, 2018
Good defense turning into good offense is such a thing of beauty.
Trey Burke is here to play DEFENSE pic.twitter.com/9WO0952FVe
— Knicks Film School (@KnickFilmSchool) October 18, 2018
Science just told me that injecting this play into your veins causes you to become temporarily immortal. Do with that what you may.
Welcome to @TheGarden, Coach. pic.twitter.com/5cfa018rJH
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 18, 2018
Coach Fiz gets the first game ball of the year. I’m not crying. You’re crying.
Changing up your Halftime Highlight ???
$10,000 thanks to @Chase. pic.twitter.com/NYlmo0OkNo
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 18, 2018
This happened before the Knicks made a field goal, so I’m officially dubbing it the turning point of the season.
.@T_HardJR and @wholeteamDot are revolutionizing the rap game ?
(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/vDVonP2GL4
— Yahoo Sports NBA (@YahooSportsNBA) October 18, 2018
I think I’ll just end it right here.
This is all the evidence I need to confirm that the 2018-19 New York Knicks are good. I am confident that for once I will make it an entirely NBA season without having my soul crushed.
Expectations and standards are officially high.
