Are the Knicks Willing to Hit the Reset Button?

(USATSI)

The Knicks have now lost 9 of their last 10 games. What started out to be a promising season has now turned into a nightmare in a matter of a couple weeks.

The Knicks suffered another tough loss, 108-107, against a Dwight Howard-less Atlanta Hawks team at the Garden. Dennis Schroder hit the dagger with a 3 pointer before Derrick Rose and Carmelo Anthony missed their chances to hit the game winner at the buzzer.

To be fair, the refs did not help the Knicks at all with a couple of blown calls at crucial times of the game. Rose getting called for an offensive foul on what to appear to be a blocking foul and Rose not getting a foul called on the final play of the game.

But with that being said, you can’t blame losses on the refs. This was a close game throughout, but the Knicks just cant get the stops that they need on the defensive end when it matters the most.

The Knicks are now 18-24 and are 3 games behind the 8^th seed for a playoff spot. So right now the Knicks have to turn it around and play really good basketball the rest of the way to try and sneak into the playoffs. That’s best-case scenario. Even if they do sneak in, I don’t see them getting past the first round with that defense.

So the Knicks have to decide before the trade deadline if they want to sneak into the playoffs for a 1^st round exit, or press the reset button.

I know the players and the fans might not want a rebuild but the Knicks have a solid building block to build around with The Unicorn, Kristaps Porzingis. But the Knicks can never truly rebuild unless Carmelo Anthony is willing to waive his no-trade clause.

Anthony did say after the Raptors game on Sunday that if the Knicks didn’t want him, that should be a conversation that him and Phil Jackson should have. But other than that Melo has stated multiple times that he is loyal and wants to stay with in New York.

I for one would love to see the Knicks turn it around and grab a playoff spot and maybe make some noise in the playoffs, but I’m afraid that might just be me being delusional Knicks fan.

This is not a very good team, and a full rebuild is looking like it makes more and more sense everyday. With a first round draft pick this year, and the way they are playing right now, tanking to get a lottery pick to get a young promising player to play along KP just seems like common sense.

It almost makes too much sense.

It will be interesting to see what Phil Jackson and the Knicks decide to do.