After watching his team play the role of the Washington Generals to LeBron and the Cavaliers, Mike D'Antoni got asked the only question that still matters for this Knicks season. Is the chance at employing the King worth being humiliated on a nightly basis?
"I’ll tell you next year, O.K.?"
Why wait until next year? It's totally worth it. Monday night's game provided so much more than just another loss in an endless series of losses.
Remember how boring the slam dunk contest was this season? The Knicks provide an easy fix.
Just have D'Antoni devise a defensive scheme for five players and five members of the Cavs run offensive plays against them for 12 minutes. They'll finish with 30 or 35 dunks, many of them of the wide-open and spectacular variety and there's the added bonus of exasperated looks from the coach and Danilo Gallinari's bug eyes staring out from under a haircut Pauly D would reject. It would make for an interesting twist on a contest that's gotten a bit too gray over the years.
That's not the only reason it's worthwhile, though. If the Knicks had a real team this season, they wouldn't be able to add Bill Walker to the list of players who have once led the Knicks in scoring during a game. But they did and he did, which means we have cause to once again point out Walker's previous claim to fame was urinating into a handful of towels on the sideline of a college game. Chances are that will remain his chief claim to fame but leading the Knicks in scoring or a night is number two with a bullet.
Flimsy reasons, perhaps, but one should always look at the brighter side of life. The other choice is an umpteenth discussion of whether or not James is coming to New York and whether the hideous state of the Knicks will impact his choice. Been there, done that and plenty of time to do it again.
For the rest of the season, let's just look for the small graces granted by a bad basketball team and let LeBron figure out for himself it will be as fun to play with the Knicks as it is to play against them.
Sports
Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City and is a contributor to FanHouse.com and ProFootballTalk.com in addition to his duties for NBCNewYork.com.
