Ask any New York Knicks fan what their favorite Knicks moment was and chances are they will talk about their team's Cinderella run to the Finals in the 1998-1999 season. This season New York has been off to a hot start and is in the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference with an 18-18 record. As early as now, fans are seeing similarities with this season and the one that ended with them in the Finals.
After being the laughing stock of the league for years, the Knicks are a team to watch out for and Stephen A. Smith is smiling again. Head coach Tom Thibodeau, who has his quirks, such as giving his starters heavy minutes and giving young players limited minutes has done wonders for the organization.
New York's approach has been to slow the game down to a snail's pace and play tough defense in an era where offenses have exploded. First-time All-Star Julius Randle has been a catalyst for the Knicks' success and vastly improved his game. He is consistently taking and making more three-point shots and has been an automatic 20 -10 points and rebounds kind of player. For now, New York has graduated from cellar dweller to underdog.
The 1998-1999 Knicks had a different background though. They had the highest payroll in the league and were looking to make the most out of a declining Patrick Ewing. Ewing best represents the organization's story in the 90s.
Ewing is one of the greatest players to ever set foot on an NBA court. Unfortunately, his peak coincided with the likes of Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon. His best chance to win it all came in that magical season, where Jordan and Olajuwon were no longer in the picture.
With a roster that included players, such as Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston, and Larry Johnson, New York was primed to win it all, but the regular season was brutal and key players were riddled with injuries.
Eventually, they snuck their way into the playoffs as the eighth seed, where they would meet their old friend, former head coach Pat Riley and the Miami Heat. It was an emotional battle and the Knicks managed to come out on top. They would go on to sweep the Atlanta Hawks and Dikembe Mutombo and beat the Indiana Pacers led by Reggie Miller. New York ran the gauntlet and faced the heavily-favored San Antonio Spurs. Unfortunately, bigs Ewing and Johnson were out with injury and Tim Duncan and David Robinson feasted on both ends of the court.
This magical season was shortened to just 50 games due to a lockdown over salaries and the salary cap. Likewise, the current season was shortened due to the pandemic. Usually, shorter seasons favor younger teams as there is less rest. This will benefit the Knicks squad.
Basketball is played very differently today than in the 90s, so the best way for this iteration of the Knicks to tap into that 1998-1999 energy is to get emotional. During games, the team should remember all the times they were the subject of ridicule and how far they have gone since.
Can this New York team repeat the highs of their '99 predecessor? No. The East is too stacked with teams like the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Philadelphia 76ers. These are teams with former MVPs or MVP-level players. Further, the team is too young and inexperienced. However, the essence of that old team was having grit and punching way above their weight class. In this regard, yes they can.
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