“The ship be sinking” again for the Knicks

Forty years ago, the Knicks found themselves in an incredibly similar scenario to their current state of affairs — a year past overachieving, with a renowned coach at the helm, losing games and looking for answers. What can the current Knicks learn from the Knicks of old?

An aging, highly reputable, stubborn coach steering an average-at-best New York Knicks roster miraculously grabs the No. 4-seed, then gets smacked out of the playoffs by the No. 5 seed. The following year, the wheels fall off the carriage-turned-pumpkin-again, and that same coach suddenly finds himself on the hot seat. 

Sound familiar? Ring an extremely loud and incredibly close bell? Apparently, New York Knicks history repeats itself every 40 years.

“The ship be sinking,” Michael Ray Richardson infamously proclaimed on Christmas night 1981 after New York’s fourth straight loss, when the magic of the prior season’s success had all but dissipated. Forty years later, the Knicks are collapsing again, convincing everybody without a shadow of a doubt that, once again, the ship “be sinking.”

Red Holzman was back at the helm after building the Noah’s Ark of Knicks’ history in the early 70s; the lone championship teams amid a flood of incompetence and heartbreak. He had been replaced by his star pupil Willis Reed in 1977, only to take back the gig in 1978. That offseason, New York selected a long, strong, two-way guard in Michael Ray Richardson with the fourth overall pick — he was to be Red’s new Clyde.*

*Richardson’s eventual ban from the league for multiple violations of its drug policy would unfortunately come to define his career, and the collective memory of Sugar Ray’s immense talent and early success with the Knicks is the victim. So here’s a reminder: In just his second season, Richardson led the entire league in both assists and steals. He made the All-Star team in his second, third, and fourth seasons, and was selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team twice during that span. He was living up to the hype and expectations before drugs derailed an extremely promising career. Was he Larry Bird (selected two picks later in that draft)? No. But watch this. The dude could play.  

With its coach/point guard tandem intact, the Knicks began what appeared destined to become a successful rebuild, improving from 31-51 in Richardson’s first year (and netting Bill Cartwright with the third overall pick) to a respectable 39-43 in his sophomore campaign. Despite being armed with a rising star in Richardson and a promising prospect in Cartwright, the Knicks were still presumably far from contention, with the rest of the roster filled with relative unknowns like Campy Russell, Ray and Sly Williams, and Marvin Webster. A 51-31 record was simply not in the cards, and yet, behind an opportunistic offense and an excellent defense, the Knicks wildly exceeded expectations, and Madison Square Garden found itself hosting Game 1 in the first round of the playoffs.  

As last season’s Knicks can confirm, the playoffs will expose overachievers. Like Julius Randle, Richardson struggled mightily to adjust to a defensive scheme focused on stopping him. He shot a putrid 24% in the two-game sweep at the hands of the Chicago Bulls, and his young running mate Cartwright didn’t fare much better, shooting just 35% in his two playoff games. In the Knicks’ five-game loss to the Hawks, Julius Randle shot 30%; RJ Barrett, 39%.

Going into the next season, expectations from all parties were probably too high, and with outsized expectations comes certain disappointment. Just like this season’s squad, Holzman had the Knicks hovering around .500 for much of the year, but the passion and effort that infused the team the prior year seemed to have evaporated, leading many to question whether an extremely demanding coach had run his course.

Reading this December 29, 1981 article by the late Thom Greer of the Daily News (shouts to @jlkra1980 on Twitter for hunting this down for me), you’d think he was writing 40 years in the future. 

• “The team’s unintelligent, uninspired, impatient play remains the biggest downer in New York other than the quaaludes.”*

• “There has been talk… that what the Knicks really needed all along was an opportunity to run more, a chance to crank up the transition game…” 

• “Perhaps it was Holzman’s [insert Thibodeau’s] inability to prevent that kind of thinking — the penchant of some players to do what they feel is best for them instead of what the coach believes is right for this team — from being put into practice on the court that has created the current situation.”

*Okay, nobody would say “quaaludes” now, which were recreational drugs discontinued in 1985 due to their addictiveness and widespread abuse. But it’s a hell of a line, especially considering what would befall Michael Ray Richardson soon after this article was written.

The parallels speak for themselves.  The question is, what lessons can be learned from the early ‘80s Knicks going forward?

First, Red Holzman retired after the dramatically disappointing 1981-1982 campaign, a captain drowned with his sunken ship. Tom Thibodeau has been harshly and often fairly criticized this season for his stubbornness, rotations, over-reliance on veterans, preferred glacial pace, failure to hold his best player accountable, and irresponsibility in leaving his most valuable young prospect on the floor in a blowout. Perhaps, like Holzman, Thibs was the right man to steer the ship back on course, but as it now veers towards the iceberg, it may well be time for a change at the helm. If not (and I do understand the arguments against yet another coaching change), he needs to sincerely and significantly change his approach.

Second, the Knicks parted with their young, troubled star after that disappointing season, trading Richardson for Bernard King prior to the 1982-83 campaign. King brought the Knicks back to respectability, and provided a much steadier and more consistent leader for a team desperate for one. Thankfully, Randle does not possess anything like the off-court issues that plagued Richardson throughout his career, but his mercuriality, negativity, and inconsistent effort have played a large part in the derailment of this season. If there is any opportunity to trade him for a skilled player who brings more consistency and positivity before next season, the front office should absolutely explore that option.

Third, keep Mike Woodson around at all costs.  Woodson was drafted 12th overall by New York in 1980, and played a limited bench role at 12 minutes per game for the shockingly successful ‘80-81 Knicks (basically last year’s Obi Toppin). They traded him during the following, disappointing season. Incredibly, four decades later, Woodson joined Thibodeau’s staff and served as an assistant coach during last season’s surprising run, before leaving midseason to become the head coach of Indiana University, and missing out on this year’s fun.

Finally, while Bernard King indeed brought the Knicks back to the playoffs and brought buzz back to the Garden, he was not the caliber of player that could guarantee long-term, sustainable success and a championship window. King’s injuries during the 1984-85 season — and the losses that mounted as a result — opened the door to that very player in the form of Patrick Ewing. Ultimately, with the likes of Richardson, Cartwright, King, Randle, or Barrett as New York’s best players, the Knicks can underachieve in a given season, they can pleasantly surprise and overachieve in a given season, or they can be the .500 team most expected. Until they sign, trade for, or draft that guy, that’s what you are going to get. It’s a harsh but true reality, and it’s where the Knicks find themselves yet again, 40 years later. 

“The ship be sinking.”  Who will be the savior this time around?