Milwaukee Bucks Opposition Intel: New York Knicks Q&A With Sean Linhares
By Adam McGee
Dec 4, 2015; New York, NY; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) and forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) run on the court in the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks won 108-91. Mandatory Credit: William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports
Adam McGee: How does it feel for Knicks fans to see the team sitting at .500 through the first 20 games of the season? Was that something that anybody felt was realistic?
Sean Linhares: Well to answer the first part of that question, it feels euphoric. Having been the laughing stock of the league throughout last season and, realistically, for much of the past decade, it’s just been a lot of fun.
It also helps that this team is just so fun. From Kristaps Porzingis to Carmelo Anthony to Arron Afflalo, this is a unit that is just fun to watch and cheer for. That’s in stark contrast to last seasons Alexey Shved, Andrea Bargnani fiesta.
As for the second part, that’s a yes and no answer.
Personally, I put the teams ceiling at about 40-45 wins and I think there was a quiet optimism around the NBA about what the Knicks could be this year. Phil Jackson had a somewhat disappointing offseason, but a productive one nontheless after signing Robin Lopez, Afflalo, and adding some bench depth.
However, there were still a lot of people that just expected this team to be bad because they are the Knicks. Surely, KP would be a bust and Anthony would force his way out of New York in a trade! Even amongst the optimistic, most felt that this season was still a work in progress and would likely end in the 30-win area.
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