New York Knicks: What did the West Coast Trip Reveal About this Team?

Traveling isn’t easy for your average commuter so imagine the stress and anxiety for a pro-basketball player, the New York Knicks received a lot of about both on their West coast trip. A bitter taste is damping the taste buds of every Knicks fan after a comeback was spoiled by a desperation heave at the buzzer. The 1-2 record on the trip doesn’t scream success. Numbers won’t reveal the Knicks battled injuries over the course of those three games. J.R. Smith, the catalyst for an injured Knicks team over the stretch. Smith averaged 26.7 points during the West coast swing leaving his imprint on each game. Smith’s buzzer beater in Phoenix will be the highlight of the road trip. It will be easy to overlook that both Raymond Felton and Carmelo Anthony didn’t play the Knicks last two games. Anthony was also hindered by the hyperextended knee in the latter half of the game against Los Angeles. Excuses weren’t made and the Knicks as a unit found a way to make it work. At one point the Knicks were down by 27, against the Sacramento Kings. This Knicks team fights until the end, which they’re used too due to their slow starts. Marcus Camby played 11 minutes against the Kings and recorded 4 blocked shots, showing why he is a former defensive player of the year. Camby also set J.R. Smith some beautiful screens in the final moments of the Lakers game. Those small plays would have been overshadowed even in victory. A deep Knicks team is what we expected at the beginning of the season and even though the Knicks were down big in Sacramento, the team kept fighting. Chris Copeland played a large role for the Knicks with Anthony sitting. Off the bench Copeland scored 14 points, shooting 6-12 from the field against Phoenix—23 points on 8-16 shooting against the Kings. Tyson Chandler’s effort defensively can’t be praised enough but his attention to rebounding is what the Knicks need. Chandler averaged 12 rebounds and 13 points during the road trip. Both stats are above the Knicks center’s season average. Rasheed Wallace is missing because of a sore foot. The Knicks big men are doing a great job in Wallace’s absence. The Knicks eldest rookie, Pablo Prigioni, tallied 9 assists in the loss to the Kings. Prigioni needs to improve or maybe just take more shots. Remember the Knicks often elect to go with Kurt Thomas over Camby based on offense. Jason Kidd’s 16 points and 7 assists against the Kings was another solid effort, but Kidd can’t carry the load. Kidd more than anyone else on the Knicks is suffering from the loss of Anthony and Felton. Kidd does shoot the ball well from the field, 8-16 against the Suns, and 6-13 against Sacramento. But the Knick can’t request Kidd to do that every night. Guard play will be important over the 4-6 weeks until Felton’s return. The Knicks as a unit are a resilient bunch that doesn’t believe any deficit is insurmountable. Without their stars the Knicks competed, and no matter who is on the floor the Knicks share the ball. Kidd can’t be expected to orchestrate the offense for more than 20-minutes a night, the Knicks need his legs more on defense. Without Felton, Smith or Prigioni will have to take more of a facilitator role. Anthony may take some of the burden as well when he returns. Until then, Prigioni may be out of his comfort zone and will have to look at the basket. No matter the circumstances the Knicks hold it together winning—and—losing as a team. These Knicks don’t come home with a winning record from the grueling road trip, but at least they’re coming home. Follow Me On Twitter