When it comes to the New York Knicks, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Phil Jackson was finally exiled from New York this past offseason, as was Carmelo Anthony. New players such as Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott, Michael Beasley, and Ramon Sessions arrived. And familiar face Tim Hardaway Jr. was brought back. However, the Knicks are the same tire fire they've been for the past half-decade - off to an 0-3 start and running the NBA's least efficient offense. They rank last in effective field-goal and 3-point percentage, are 29th in 3-point attempts, 26th in turnover rate, and 23rd in assist rate.
The failure that was the triangle offense may have left town with Jackson, but the Knicks appear no more certain about what they're supposed to be doing when they have the ball than they were during Jackson's ignominious three-year reign as team president. Hardaway explained as much when he was asked what went wrong in the Knicks' latest loss - a 110-89 beatdown at the hands of the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night.
"Everything," he said, according to ESPN's Ian Begley. "Couldn't get anything offensively. We're all out there just running like we don't know what's going on. It can't happen. ... We've just got to go to the drawing boards and get back to practice, just go out there knowing what we have to do offensively and defensively."
Hardaway, who signed a four-year, $71-million offer sheet to rejoin the Knicks this summer, has been particularly lost and out of rhythm. Through three games, he's shooting 24.3 percent from the field and 22.7 percent from 3-point range, with more fouls than free-throw attempts, and more turnovers than assists.
"You guys see it out there. It's no secret," Hardaway said. "We're turning the ball over, lackadaisical out there. Nothing seems crisp really. I mean, yeah, that comes with not really that much experience all together, like all these other teams. But at the same time we can control what we can control. That's keeping the ball in our hands and executing properly."
The Knicks should, at least, have a chance to get there legs under them in the coming weeks, as they play 11 of their next 14 games at home.
