TRUST THE PROCESS Pt. 2
The New York Knicks are terrible. The year is 2014, they are one of three non-expansion clubs to never appear in the NBA Finals.
Our job here is to become Knicks savants. We're going to live and breathe the franchise and become their biggest fans.
We've made the playoff just three times since 1997. We've been to the Conference Finals just twice in franchise history. But now they've hired this stats guy to come in here and remake our Knicks entirely.
They've traded the entire roster, we're going to be playing with a bunch of no-name guys this year, they've gotten a bunch of draft picks and so, we're just gonna wait and see what happens.
I'll write recaps of each season for you, so you can experience a sliver of the pain of what it's like to be a Knicks fan in this timeline.
2013-14: THE REBUILD BEGINS
In the off-season, the Knicks cut about $25m in salary and then traded anyone else with a pulse. The core guys they kept were our last two top draft picks - Len Wells and Harley Shrader. Those guys will be gone by draft day, meaning the entire roster will be new dudes.
It really is a new day in New York.
EPISODE 1. THE FIRST SEASON
The Knicks were terrible. We knew they'd be bad, but I think we expected there would be something to root for, some sliver of positivity somewhere in the awfulness. They're a cohesive and terrible team destined again for the lottery.
The lone bright spot on the club was Doug Bailey, third-year guard out of Southern University who averaged 23.8 PPG. Another former top pick Harley Shrader (15.2 PPG) was also solid in his 2nd NBA season and last year's top pick Celino Moya (9.8 PPG, 7.5 RPG) was a solid defensive presence, but none of it mattered when the team featured leaky defense and an inability to stop anybody, ever. Undrafted rookie free agent PG Donny Ehlers averaged 13.7 PPG and was a First Team All-NBA Rookie. So can't argue with that signing for a bargain.
So we head to the off-season hoping for something better, but not quite sure exactly what that's going to look like and how it'll be possible. We're bad. We're going to keep being bad for a while.
With $66m in cap space, I imagine there are things the team could do, but I don't think they're going to do anything but try to build a team through the draft and see what happens.
The worst.
Two 7-seeds made the conference finals this year (Orlando, Minnesota) and a 5-seed (Kentucky) won the NBA title. So there are teams that were bad that are now good out here doing interesting things and we're floundering.
No idea what they're willing to do to make things better.
Code:
2013 NBA Standings
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METROPOLITAN W L PCT HOME DIV CONF
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Nets 53 29 .646 27-14 8-7 27-19
76ers 47 35 .573 27-14 11-4 28-18
Generals 40 42 .488 23-18 11-4 22-24
Celtics 40 42 .488 21-20 8-7 24-22
Pelicans 34 48 .415 20-21 7-8 21-25
Knicks 8 74 .098 6-35 0-15 4-42
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ATLANTIC W L PCT HOME DIV CONF
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Expos 65 17 .793 36-5 12-3 37-9
Thrashers 55 27 .671 32-9 12-3 29-17
Magic 46 36 .561 28-13 9-6 28-18
Wizards 43 39 .524 23-18 4-11 22-24
Hornets 41 41 .500 23-18 5-10 18-28
Heat 26 56 .317 19-22 3-12 15-31
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CENTRAL W L PCT HOME DIV CONF
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Raptors 55 27 .671 31-10 12-3 29-17
Colonels 51 31 .622 30-11 11-4 28-18
Pacers 39 43 .476 25-16 8-7 25-21
Bucks 39 43 .476 28-13 7-8 26-20
Cavaliers 34 48 .415 25-16 5-10 18-28
Pistons 31 51 .378 20-21 2-13 13-33
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CONTINENTAL W L PCT HOME DIV CONF
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Rockets 69 13 .841 39-2 13-2 41-5
Grizzlies 43 39 .524 27-14 6-9 26-20
Hawks 35 47 .427 25-16 11-4 19-27
Spurs 30 52 .366 16-25 5-10 18-28
Jazz 28 54 .341 16-25 8-7 18-28
Bulls 21 61 .256 15-26 2-13 10-36
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FRONTIER W L PCT HOME DIV CONF
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Mavericks 53 29 .646 27-14 10-5 31-15
Trail Blazers 47 35 .573 28-13 11-4 26-20
Nuggets 44 38 .537 26-15 7-8 25-21
Timberwolves 43 39 .524 30-11 7-8 25-21
Supersonics 32 50 .390 21-20 4-11 19-27
Mounties 29 53 .354 17-24 6-9 15-31
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PACIFIC W L PCT HOME DIV CONF
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Clippers 55 27 .671 31-10 13-2 31-15
Dukes 50 32 .610 30-11 9-6 28-18
Suns 43 39 .524 27-14 7-8 24-22
Warriors 42 40 .512 28-13 4-11 19-27
Lakers 40 42 .488 24-17 9-6 24-22
Kings 25 57 .305 18-23 3-12 15-31
Code:
2013 NBA Season Summary Awards
Award Pos Name Team PPG RPG APG SPG BPG
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GM of the Year: Vern Hopper Raptors
Coach of the Year:
Most Valuable Player: PG Percy Burton Expos 27.9 6.8 8.1 2.4 0.5
Rookie of the Year: SF Ezrah McDonald Hornets 27.2 5.2 1.8 2.4 0.6
Defender of the Year: SF Anton Coney Clippers 18.2 5.0 4.6 4.0 0.1
6th Man of the Year: SF Wilmer Hill 76ers 15.2 5.3 6.8 0.8 0.5
Most Improved Player: SF Richard Dunn Spurs 20.0 4.5 3.1 2.1 0.2
All-League 1st Team: C Milo Keene Thrashers 21.8 9.3 1.3 0.5 4.6
All-League 1st Team: F DeShea Scott Nets 26.5 7.0 4.4 3.1 0.6
All-League 1st Team: F Thomas Townsley Bucks 29.1 6.6 2.6 2.1 0.2
All-League 1st Team: G Percy Burton Expos 27.9 6.8 8.1 2.4 0.5
All-League 1st Team: G Harvey Taylor Rockets 28.6 6.7 6.7 2.4 0.4
All-League 2nd Team: C Maximo Johnson Clippers 20.5 6.0 2.3 1.6 1.9
All-League 2nd Team: F Jeramy Dean Wizards 26.6 8.6 3.4 1.8 0.7
All-League 2nd Team: F Tyler Boudreaux Nuggets 27.9 4.1 4.3 2.9 0.4
All-League 2nd Team: G Tony Gehring Celtics 25.9 6.0 10.4 1.7 0.2
All-League 2nd Team: G Willis Worrell Nuggets 19.3 4.7 10.6 3.1 0.4
All-League 3rd Team: C Otis Martin Pelicans 16.0 8.7 4.2 1.1 2.5
All-League 3rd Team: F William Loveland Colonels 26.0 5.7 3.7 3.1 1.3
All-League 3rd Team: F Ezrah McDonald Hornets 27.2 5.2 1.8 2.4 0.6
All-League 3rd Team: G Weston McDonald Colonels 21.9 3.5 10.7 1.9 0.4
All-League 3rd Team: G Long Shaw Hawks 20.2 5.1 10.5 1.4 0.4
All-Defense 1st Team: C Franklin Wayman Nets 10.1 5.7 3.5 1.8 3.3
All-Defense 1st Team: F Anton Coney Clippers 18.2 5.0 4.6 4.0 0.1
All-Defense 1st Team: F Fred Shaw Rockets 13.9 6.0 4.8 3.2 1.1
All-Defense 1st Team: G Long Peek Thrashers 18.6 4.7 8.0 3.8 0.8
All-Defense 1st Team: G Robert Silva Pelicans 15.3 5.9 6.9 3.2 0.8
All-Defense 2nd Team: C Andrew Batiste Suns 13.6 11.9 1.4 1.6 2.9
All-Defense 2nd Team: F Rickey Dryer Supersonics 21.0 5.8 6.6 3.2 1.0
All-Defense 2nd Team: F DeShea Scott Nets 26.5 7.0 4.4 3.1 0.6
All-Defense 2nd Team: G Dylan Snipes Suns 17.8 3.3 10.8 3.2 0.6
All-Defense 2nd Team: G Vernon Mink Grizzlies 17.9 5.6 7.2 3.3 0.3
All-Rookie 1st Team: C Calvin Landers Raptors 9.2 7.4 1.9 0.5 3.9
All-Rookie 1st Team: F Ezrah McDonald Hornets 27.2 5.2 1.8 2.4 0.6
All-Rookie 1st Team: F Wes Newman Jazz 19.9 6.6 3.8 1.0 0.7
All-Rookie 1st Team: G Donny Ehlers Knicks 13.7 4.7 4.6 0.3 0.1
All-Rookie 1st Team: G Richard Branham Nets 10.6 3.1 6.1 1.5 0.1
All-Rookie 2nd Team: C Albert Ferrari Celtics 9.2 6.6 1.7 0.3 1.5
All-Rookie 2nd Team: F Jose Rioux Pistons 14.4 6.9 1.5 0.3 0.6
All-Rookie 2nd Team: F Jerry Toliver Heat 14.8 8.1 2.7 1.1 1.1
All-Rookie 2nd Team: G Larry Williams Magic 10.3 1.8 4.7 1.0 0.4
All-Rookie 2nd Team: G Harvey Keyes Clippers 7.0 1.6 2.0 0.6 0.3