The New York Knicks have started their season sitting above .500 with an 8-7 record, ironically comparable to this time last year. Although they don't sit at the top of the Eastern Conference, where the team is right now is much better than predicted in the offseason and more surprising than expected.
One of the season's big surprises brought along an improved Kristaps Porzingis, who was written off as “not ready” by former Knicks President Phil Jackson.
A difference is apparently with no Carmelo Anthony and no Jackson around, officially beginning a new era in the Big Apple.
Despite the fact that the Knicks are still owned by James Dolan, there are fewer distractions and less drama surrounding what's happening with the team. Believe it or not, it's fun watching the Knicks play basketball at times.
There are no more trade rumors swirling each week and Porzingis is playing like an All-Star. He's not in a tug-o-war with the front office, and the team is no longer struggling to put together a decent offense. Coach Jeff Hornacek has an idea of why the Knicks suddenly have a brighter outlook and are actually enjoying themselves on the court minus a geometric shape.
In an interview with ESPN’s Ian Begley, Hornacek credited the team's improved play and cohesion to a more focused offense.
Last year we were trying to combine a couple of things — our style and the triangle style. We tried to mix it. This year we’re not trying to mix it.
Everyone knows it was all Jackson working hard to keep his beloved triangle offense alive. While he and Hornacek had no issues with each other, the team never quite figured out how to properly implement and execute a combined offense.
Porzingis notices the difference as well and spoke on the Michael Kay Show to give his take on the team's improvement.
This year you can feel that Jeff has more, he’s running his own stuff without anybody coming in and telling him what to do or how to do.
The NBA is changing and an archaic offense was counterproductive to the growth of the team. While it is easy to criticize Jackson for not recognizing when to let go of what helped him win in the distant past, he had an eye for talent enough to draft two current Knick players beloved in the city, Porzingis and Frank Ntilikina. Whether intentional or not, Jackson played a big part ushering in what's now in place.
This is a new era in New York.
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