When spring rolls around, the New York Knicks will be in the playoffs. It will be the first time the franchise has made consecutive trips to the postseason since the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 seasons. But, that doesn’t mean that they’re going to win a series — something they haven’t done in almost a decade. The Knicks are going to let you down this season if you believe they’ll have more postseason success than last season’s first-round exit. But, it won’t be because the team or coaching staff underachieved, it’ll be because Knicks fans and the “New York media” set you up for failure — again. Let me explain: Last season, the Knicks finished third (41-31) in the Atlantic Division during a hellacious shortened season overrun by countless injuries to stars — and role players — as the mental health of players was a constant talking point due to the isolation they dealt with while playing during a global pandemic with countless mandates on the road and at home. New York looked up at the Nets and Sixers in their division, and the Bucks in the conference, as the fourth-seeded Knicks trailed all three of those teams in the final standings. And then, Trae Young happened. The Knicks got embarrassed by the Hawks in Madison Square Garden by a guy making his postseason debut who averaged 29.2 points and 9.8 assists in the five-game series, after serving up 24.7 points and 12 assists per game against them in regular-season matchups. They knew what Trae was capable of, they just didn’t have an answer. If we look at the Eastern Conference, the Bucks, Nets (despite whatever happens with Kyrie Irving), Sixers, Hawks, and Heat are all better than New York. And the Celtics and Bulls could both have a better record by the end of the season due to Boston being healthy and the additions of Demar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball in Chicago. So, let’s slot the Knicks somewhere between 3 or 4 in their division, and 5-8 in their conference — meaning that last year’s home court advantage is gone, as they could be facing the Bucks, Nets, Sixers, Hawks, or Heat in the first round. (whispers) That means they’re going to lose again. However, no matter how much Knicks fans may understand that in their souls, they — and the NY media — will make it a point to overinflate everything the team does this season, as that’s what New Yorkers do about everything attached to that godforsaken city. Last season, I was puzzled when the Knicks let Austin Rivers go, only for him to be a vital piece for the Nuggets in the postseason — a team that won a playoff series. I remember watching Knicks fans chant “We Want Brooklyn” outside of MSG after their first postseason win in almost a decade, only for that win to be their only victory of the postseason. I saw members of the NY media say asinine things like this: Legendary former players even got in on the act, when Charles Oakley publicly stated that Julius Randle is “ a better version of Zion Williamson,” only for Randle to average a dismal 18 points and 11.6 rebounds on 29.8 percent shooting in the playoffs after going for 24.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per night in a season in which he was All-NBA second team. And now, I’m watching as New Yorkers are losing their minds about the return of Kemba Walker to MSG as if he’ll be their savior, even though he hasn’t done anything worth remembering in that building in a decade. A lot has happened since the 2011 Big East Tournament. The Knicks will be good this season but also viewed as a letdown. But, it won’t be because of their play or execution, but because of the pedestal their fans and local media unjustly put them on. Relatedbetting odds calculationsbetting parlay calculatormoneyline to percentage calculatorhalf points in sports bettingkelly bet calculatorhedge calculator for sports bettingclosing spreadsunder points bettingsports parlaysround robin betting explainedwhat is positive ev bettinghow hedging works in sports betting
Related Posts
Hansi Flick has confirmed Robert Lewandowski is fit to continue his goalscoring record pursuit for Bayern Munich when they play Freiburg on Saturday.
Lewandowski has scored a remarkable 39 Bundesliga goals in 27 matches this season, putting him just one behind the record held by Gerd Muller, who netted 40 times in the league during the 1971-72 campaign.
There were fears Lewandowski – who recently returned from a month out with a knee injury suffered while on international duty with Poland could miss the clash with Freiburg after he made an early exit from a session at the club s training camp on Thursday.
But Flick revealed the striker is ready to go after playing a part in Friday s session and said helping him to the milestone is one of his last remaining t…
On this day in sport: Mickelson´s Masters joy, Klopp´s Dortmund beat Bayern, and shamed Cronje loses
As Jurgen Klopp waits for Liverpool s 2019-20 Premier League coronation, he might look back fondly on this day in 2012 when he was nudging ever closer to glory with Borussia Dortmund.
BVB were also involved in a major news story exactly five years later, when their players were stunned by a bomb attack on their team bus before a Champions League game.
Phil Mickelson landed his first major golf title at the Masters in 2004, and a South African cricket great s downfall came on this day in 2000.
Here we look back here at standout sporting moments to have occurred on April 11 through the years.
2000 Disgraced Cronje loses South Africa captaincy
Hansie Cronje was one of South Africa s greatest cricketers, and one of the country s most popula…
Barcelona great Xavi believes Raheem Sterling is on course to emerge as the world s best player when Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo leave centre stage.
Manchester City star Sterling has started the new season in scintillating fashion, scoring eight times for club and country.
His goal return and overall effectiveness has markedly improved with Pep Guardiola s guidance and the 24-year-old is now one of the first players chosen for the Premier League champions.
Sterling won Europe s Golden Boy award in 2014 given to the continent s brightest young talent and Xavi thinks the England international is on course to replace Messi and Ronaldo at the front of the queue for further honours.
Xavi told The Mirror: Messi is the best ever for me, and even though th…
Carlos Soler scored a hat-trick of penalties as Valencia ended a four-match winless run in LaLiga with a 4-1 rout of Real Madrid at Mestalla.
Soler s penalties – the first of which had to be re-taken due to an infringement by Yunus Musah – were added to by Raphael Varane s own goal as Valencia came from behind in a frantic encounter.
Karim Benzema, who has now scored more LaLiga goals than any other player since the resumption in June, opened the scoring with a thunderous strike – his fifth goal in his last four top-flight meetings with Valencia.
But Benzema s brilliance was not enough to inspire Zinedine Zidane s defensively suspect side, whose misery was compounded when Sergio Ramos handled to concede a third spot-kick, which Soler duly converted to con…
Prediction: Borussia Dortmund to win 2-0
Best Odds:
Bookmaker:
Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Monchengladbach will face each other in the opening weekend of the 2020-21 Bundesliga game.The match at Signal Iduna Park is scheduled to kick off at 5:30pm UK time on Saturday. It promises to be a hugely exiting game and should be an entertaining affair for the onlookers.
Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund will be looking to have a better season than they had during the 2019-20 campaign. Dortmund have established themselves as serious and consistent challengers to Bayern Munich for the Bundesliga title, but things were far from ideal in 2019-20. Although Lucien Favre’s side ended up second in the standings, they finished as many as 13 points behind event…
According to a recent report from Corriere dello Sport, Napoli’s club president Aurelio De Laurentiis is contemplating a move for Fabio Quagliarella. The 36 year old veteran put in a marvellous season with 26 goals in Serie A, confirming his status as perhaps one of the most underrated forwards in world football today. He spent one season with Napoli back in 2009-10, but now, it seems like Napoli are fully invested in the idea of giving him a new home for what would likely be the final big transfer of his career. Napoli are coming off the back of a season in which they were unable to really push Juventus in the race for the title like they did last year, but at the very least, it’s good to know they’re already in the process of planning for the future.
Is there a certain …
Milan president Paolo Scaroni insisted the Rossoneri are committed to a long-term project as they attempt to follow a blueprint similar to that of Liverpool.
The Serie A outfit are readying themselves for their first Champions League appearance since March 2014 on Wednesday against Jurgen Klopp s men, who have lost just one of their last 12 group-stage clashes at Anfield.
Head coach Stefano Pioli s preparations have been perfect so far, winning all three Serie A games to sit joint-top with Roma and Napoli, but Scaroni says Milan s focus is just on achieving Champions League qualification once more.
The priority is to be back in the Champions League, Milan must always be there, Scaroni told Radio Anch Io.
If we can do better, we will be happy. The goal i…
Georginio Wijnaldum admitted he is not completely happy with a lack of playing time at Paris Saint-Germain but has vowed to fight for his place in the side.
The 30-year-old joined the Ligue 1 giants on a free transfer in June after failing to agree a new deal with Liverpool, where he had been a regular for the past five seasons.
Having started five of PSG s first seven games this term, Wijnaldum was named in the starting line-up just once in their five matches prior to the international break.
He has played a part in all but one of the French side s 12 fixtures in all competitions, but the midfielder is not pleased to be playing back-up to Marco Verratti, Idrissa Gueye and Ander Herrera.
I can t say I m completely happy, he said at a pre-match news confe…
Pep Guardiola is incredibly proud to reach the Champions League final but quickly turned his focus to the other Manchester City players who have served him well over the past five years.
City won 2-0 at home to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday with a brace from Riyad Mahrez to clinch a 4-1 aggregate success in the semi-final.
Premier League leaders City will appear in the final for the first time in their history, taking on Chelsea or Real Madrid.
The defeat of PSG ends a long wait including repeated heartbreaks in the knockout stages of the competition, prompting Guardiola to believe the only difference this season was the fortune on City s side.
That meant he reflected again on past pain and how unfair it is for some notable City names to miss out.
<…
Gareth Southgate has warned that Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish face a battle from England’s up-and-coming talent to make his European Championship squad.
Among the favourites to lift the trophy in Germany, the Euro 2020 runners-up continue preparations with March friendlies against Brazil and Belgium.
This summer’s tournament sees squads go from 26 back to 23-strong selections, meaning some high-profile players are in danger of missing the cut in well-stocked areas.
Grealish faces a fight to feature while Rashford, who has gone to England’s last four tournaments, is the same having under-performed for Manchester United in a season when his Belfast escapades in January made headlines.
Southgate said: “Well, (Rashford) has a battle on his hands …