Carmelo: Knicks' 4th straight losing season more difficult than past years
The storied New York Knicks franchise has become synonymous with losing over the past 15 seasons, finishing with a record above .500 only three times since the 2001-02 campaign.
With a second loss in a matter of days to the league-worst Brooklyn Nets on Thursday, the Knicks have once again clinched a losing record (27-42, 12th in Eastern Conference), with it just being a matter of time until they're officially eliminated from postseason contention.
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"This year is disappointing due to the talent we have in this locker room and team," All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony said following the defeat, according to The New York Post's Marc Berman. "For some reason, we couldn’t get it together and get it going. It’s more difficult this season than in the past."
There was certainly a high degree of optimism at the start of the campaign, with the Knicks owning a respectable record of 14-10 through their first 24 outings. The free fall took place shortly thereafter, though, as the team dropped 12 of its next 15 games to fade away into obscurity.
"It's tough. I don't want to use the word frustrating but it's tough to be in this situation," Anthony added. "Inconsistencies - that's part of who we are as a team this year."
Kristaps Porzingis has missed time, Derrick Rose's defense has made him a liability on that end of the floor, top second-unit scorer Brandon Jennings was shipped off, and Joakim Noah was put on the shelf after undergoing knee surgery. Management played a game of "will they, won't they" with Anthony in the weeks leading up to the Feb. 23 trade deadline, and the always controversial triangle offense continues to rear its ugly head, as well.
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The Knicks haven't strung together consecutive wins since Dec. 20-22, when they beat the Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic. Things won't get any easier over this upcoming four-game road trip against Western Conference opponents, with three games coming against powerhouse squads in the San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz, and Los Angeles Clippers.