MILWAUKEE — “Lock the door! I see Leon coming!” Bucks general manager Jon Horst probably said (this didn’t happen) from his executive suite as he simultaneously checked to make sure his phone was still on airplane mode following his team’s 121-111 victory over team president Leon Rose’s Knicks Tuesday night.
“Call security!”
In all seriousness, New York’s second loss in four games wasn’t just another roller-coaster ride. It was also the first time the Knicks faced off against Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Milwaukee since the two-time MVP, reportedly, told the Bucks that, if he were to be traded, he’d prefer it be to New York.
Milwaukee fans, surely, felt uneasy sitting there watching their savior, champion and homegrown superstar even sharing the floor with the blue-and-orange brigade. I’m sure some even envisioned, if only briefly, what Antetokounmpo would look like in the other uniform. Many probably considered the trickle-down effect of what a loss to the Knicks could lead to down the road.
Antetokounmpo, though, as he’s done throughout his transition to superstardom in Milwaukee when the conversation about his future comes up, allowed his people to relax, if only for one more night. After a punishing stretch in the third quarter that forced New York to call a timeout, the “Greek Freak” demanded the crowd get louder while uttering “This is my city!”. In the aftermath, after hammering home 37 points, eight rebounds and seven assists while handing the Knicks their second straight loss, Antetokounmpo reassured Bucks supporters that he’s more interested in beating New York than joining it.
“Who said that?” Antetokounmpo said when asked about ESPN’s report regarding his potential trade preference.
“I don’t read that. I don’t remember that. Right now. I’m here representing my team. And that’s it. We beat the Knicks. That’s all. Doesn’t really matter. What matters is we have a game in two days against Golden State. Try to stay locked in and get two in a row. But I didn’t read that article. I try to stay away from all that rumors — what do you call it? Speculation, trades and all this. It doesn’t concern me one bit. I try to involve myself (in my play) and I try to help my team win games.”
Antetokounmpo is one of the best three players in the world. It would be hard to blame Rose if he actually did spend all night trying to get Horst’s attention as Antetokounmpo dominated his ball club. Who wouldn’t dream about the possibilities?
However, the Knicks don’t need Antetokounmpo. They need time.
New York’s expectations are sky high after reaching the Eastern Conference finals last season and firing head coach Tom Thibodeau right after. The objective internally is to win championships. Plural. Mike Brown is now manning the sideline and has implemented a completely different offense and defense from what the Knicks were used to under their former coach. The results have been mixed, hence the 2-2 record, and no game epitomized both what the team can be — and currently is — than Tuesday’s loss to the Bucks.
The Knicks we saw for most of the first half were an NBA Finals-bound team. Forget the 12-point lead going into halftime. New York’s move-and-spray offense generated open 3 after open 3. A 25-point halftime lead seemed reasonable. New York didn’t allow Antetokounmpo to get going behind a sound, foundational team defense. Jalen Brunson, as he often does, looked like one of the best players on the planet. Karl-Anthony Towns and his gravity only needed one shot attempt to help the offense move along.
Then the second half happened. New York reverted to its old stagnant ways. Poor, sloppy offense bled into the defense, with a lack of urgency on that end leading to the Bucks shooting their way back into the game. The Knicks conceded to the Bucks’ aggression, and that’s the last thing you do to an Antetokounmpo-led team.
New York didn’t play 48 minutes of good basketball. It has yet to do that this season, even in the victories. The best teams find a way to do it on a regular basis. The Knicks are still on the hunt for a consistent four quarters. And, you know what? That’s OK.
“If we do, we have a chance to be a really good team,” Brown said. “If we don’t, we can get beat by anybody.”
Maybe the Knicks’ 3-point percentage won’t catch up to the quality of 3s that they are generating. Yet, the looks they are often getting are so clean that it’s worth taking the time to find out. Maybe the defense won’t be consistently good. Well, they’ve been without one of their three best defenders in center Mitchell Robinson, and his return (whenever that is) could shore things up on that end of the floor. Maybe the depth will continue to not look as good as it did on paper when the cash-strapped franchise grabbed Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele this summer. But New York has played two games without Miles McBride, who has been out due to personal reasons, is missing Robinson and just got Josh Hart back after he missed all of the preseason.
It’s very possible that none of these things work in the Knicks’ favor. The fast-paced, movement offense might not suit this cast of characters. The grueling nature of constantly moving could be impacting the shooting and the inconsistent defense. It’s equally possible that all of these things drift positively for New York. The team is getting great shots. The defense is dominant in spurts. Players should be returning soon.
Eventually, time will reveal all.
“We’re still learning, and everything is brand new to us,” said Brunson, who scored 36 points on 14-of-25 shooting. “We’re not going to use that excuse for a long time, but first couple of weeks … it’s still fresh for us.”
The beauty of the Knicks is that they have about six players who can greatly impact winning, in one way or another, on any given night. They spent all their meaningful resources over the last two and a half years to field a roster featuring two All-NBA players and a pair of two-way wings who can both defend with the best of them and offer legitimate scoring. Because of that, the Knicks don’t have the assets to get an Antetokounmpo deal done even if they wanted to — unless Milwaukee, for some reason, had no interest in rebuilding after moving on from its superstar and preferred rolling out a somewhat competitive roster. New York would have to trade at least two of its premier players, probably even three, to recoup the assets to realistically throw its hat in the ring.
When is the last time a good team traded for a top-five player and won a championship soon after? The 2019 Raptors, led by Kawhi Leonar,d may have the best argument, but Toronto didn’t have to deplete its core to get Leonard due to the uncertainty about his future beyond his short contract. When franchises make a move for one of the league’s elite and don’t have draft picks to sweeten the pot, the foundation of their roster is taken out from underneath.
The Knicks, as constructed, have the talent to make it to the NBA Finals, and you don’t need to squint to see the vision Brown has for this team. Maybe those two things don’t mesh in the long run, but it behooves New York to be patient and find out if continuity can bring it all together.
The Knicks need time, not a splashy trade. Not this year, at least (it’s very hard to pull off an in-season trade for a player of Antetokounmpo’s stature). And not next year, either — assuming things just don’t go terribly wrong.
New York needs to give this experiment time to reveal itself. Breaking the bank for a superstar player could take it back to a place that once felt impossible to leave.