Don't Do It, Leon

“You're never as good as you think you are when you win; and you're never as bad as you feel when you lose.”

― Joe Paterno

This has certainly been one of the strangest Knicks seasons we've seen in a very long time. A 23-9 start that had fans thinking championship; followed by a 2-9 skid that had them jumping off a bridge; and now a 6-0 streak that has them giddy all over again. There are roller coasters that have less excitement. 

While it remains to be seen whether these last six games are indicative of who they are as a team, there are some very encouraging signs that this latest win streak just might be the real deal. 

For instance, their average margin of victory has been an impressive 23.6 points. True, one of those wins came against the lowly Nets. But even if you subtract that game, the margin is still 17.6 points. To put that in perspective, last season, the Oklahoma City Thunder had an NBA best 12.9 point differential while going 68-14.

Secondly, their defensive effort during this stretch has been simply off the charts. They've allowed an NBA low 91.8 points per game. Conversely, during their 2-9 skid, they allowed 119.8 points per game. A dramatic turnaround. 

And lastly, Karl Anthony Towns has become a new man. The 7-0 center had been struggling this season to find an identity in Mike Brown's system. Over the last three games, he appears to have found it. Check out his slash line below:

@ Tor: 8 points / 22 rebounds / 0 PF / +19 

vs Por: 14 points / 20 rebounds / 1 PF/ +17 

vs LAL: 11 points / 13 rebounds / 3 PF/ +23

That averages out to 11 points / 18.3 rebounds / 1.3 PF / +19.7 per game. It's those last two stats that jump off the page. During his tenure with the Knicks, KAT has been known for getting into early foul trouble and being a sieve on defense. Before these last three games, he was averaging 3.7 personal fouls and a plus 3.58 per game this season. If Towns can keep up this pace, the Knicks will be very difficult to beat in the playoffs.

Which brings me to the number one topic on everyone's mind: Giannis Antetokounmpo. 

I have been adamant that unless Leon Rose can convince the Milwaukee Bucks to accept KAT straight up for Giannis, he should just walk away. Now I'm convinced that even if the Bucks agree to a swap, Rose should still walk away. And for two reasons: One, the Knicks need a shutdown center who can score. Much as I love Mitchell Robinson, there's no guarantee he will be available every game, and even when he is, he's a liability offensively. Secondly, and I cannot stress this enough, Giannis is injury prone. He's had four calf injuries over the last 19 months; two of them non-contact. Imagine trading one or more of your best players at the deadline for a player who gets injured right before the playoffs begin.

And even if Giannis is healthy, I still don't get all the hoopla over him. True, he's a dominant player in the paint, but from the perimeter, he's anything but. Compare and contrast his career stats with Nikola Jokic. 

Antetokounmpo:

Jokic:

There's no comparison. Now if the Denver Nuggets ever call up the Knicks offering to trade Jokic to them, the first words out of Rose's mouth should be, "pick any three players not named Jalen Brunson and I'll send a private jet to pick him up."

But I seriously doubt the Nuggets will be calling anytime soon. Would you? Me neither.

So why would the Bucks be willing to trade Giannis? Teams only trade their stars when they conclude that they can no longer win with them. And if the Bucks no longer believe they can win with Giannis, why would the Knicks believe they can? Why on Earth would they want an injury-prone power forward that, since he last won a championship in 2021, has exactly one playoff series win in the last four seasons?

And then there are the players to consider. Think about the effect Giannis will have on a Knicks locker room that was two wins away from its first finals appearance since 1999. This isn't Mark Messier in '94; not even close.

I’ve been watching the NBA since the ‘70s. I’ve seen the greats like Julius, Walton, Kareem, Magic, Bird, Jordan, Barkley, Duncan, Shaq, Kobe, LeBron, Steph, KD and Joker. With all due respect to Giannis, he doesn't belong in that group. Great players make other players around them better, like LeBron did with the Cleveland Cavaliers and KD almost did with the Nets.

I've seen this movie before: New York team - fill in the blank - trades for an established star to put it over the top. It never ends well.

Here's the bottom line: Rose either believes in this team or he doesn't. If he does, he needs to let it cook. If they fail to make it to the finals, he can always revisit Giannis over the summer, assuming he's still available. 

Sometimes the best trades are the ones you don't make.