by Mohammed Kazmi, staff reporter
New York Knicks recently went up against the Orlando Magic. It was looking pretty bad for Orlando. Their shooting guard, Victor Oladipo, is suffering from a face injury and is currently in the process of going through rehabilitation, therefore he was not able to get any minutes against the Knicks. Despite losing Oladipo, Orlando managed to win against the Knicks, a slim 97-95 win for them.
This being the Knicks sixth consecutive loss, it brings into light just how terrible the triangle offense and the Knicks offensive strategies are doing. Coincidentally, the Magic were able to break their five game losing streak with the win against the Knicks.
Despite the Knicks disappointing loss, individually they were doing well. Small Forward Carmelo Anthony had 27 points, 5 rebounds, a steal, an assist, and a block. Point Guard, Shane Larkin also had 9 points and an even 2 assists. Shooting Guard Iman Shumpert had 10 points and Sixth man Jr. Smith finished the game with a decent 19 points.
“I think the Knicks won’t be doing well in the next few games. They are in a slump, taking bad shots and their defense is terrible,” senior Emmanuel Damanakis said.
This loss against the Magic just signifies the Knicks ineffective triangle offense. Despite past predictions of its success, it has proven to be the weakest link of the Knicks’ offense. This is probably due to Carmelo Anthony not having the ball in his hands. Carmelo is the powerhouse of the Knicks offense. Without his scoring abilities the Knicks are struggling. Anthony seems to be the only one putting in any work in the offensive side. Shumpert and Smith have also been lacking in their offensive abilities. No team can just thrive upon the shoulder of one player.
“I don’t watch Knicks games anymore because the Knicks aren’t playing good. I don’t think they’ll make it to the playoffs,” senior Luciano Cardoza said.
Only together can they be a force against other teams in the conference and maybe even the playoffs. How things look right now it is very unlikely the Knicks will even earn a spot. With many games remaining, the Knicks hope to turn around their bad habits and hope for the best. Despite the continuous effort displayed by the Knicks, their chances of making it, is becoming less each passing day.
