Reflecting on a Notorious Season: The 2014-15 Knicks

In early 2015, the New York Knicks faced a challenging season, tied for the worst record in the league. On January 5 of that year, they lost to the Memphis Grizzlies with a score of 105-83. Their record stood at 5-32, prompting significant actions from the team’s management.

During this period, Scott Cacciola, a Knicks beat writer for The New York Times, captured the team’s struggles. He described the performance in Memphis as a symbol of futility. Such results led The Times to publish an alternative series called Not the Knicks. This series aimed to explore better-performed basketball teams elsewhere, beginning with an article about the Emporia State (Kan.) Lady Hornets, a leading Division II women’s college team.

The contrast between the Lady Hornets’ success and the Knicks’ struggles highlighted the different levels of play. The idea was to find well-played basketball since fans could not witness this at Knicks games during that time.

Now, as the Knicks near a championship, the past difficulties, especially the 2014-15 season, may seem distant to newer fans. However, older fans remember the struggles that form part of the team’s history, especially their long 53-year title drought.

The Times Insider revisited this initiative with journalists who were involved in Not the Knicks. According to Jason Stallman, the Sports editor at the time, the series emerged as a response to Knicks’ poor performance and the discontent among the fans. Management decisions then, like trading J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert and focusing on the draft, reflect ongoing challenges within the NBA, where some teams opt to prioritize future drafts over current seasons.