Eddy Curry has a lawsuit to focus on, Danilo Gallinari has chronic back problems to cope with and the New York Knicks organization has Stan Van Gundy's harsh words about Patrick Ewing to react to.
???So who on the team is focusing on snapping their six-game losing-streak? Better yet, have any of these players actually entertained the thought of making the playoffs this year?
???Though this may come as a surprise, the Knicks aren't completely out of the post-season picture. They are just five and a half games behind the Chicago Bulls and have 11 games left to make a push for the eighth and final seed in the Eastern Conference.
???It is doubtful, but I have always been hopeful.
???New York City is referred to as "the Mecca of Basketball" and the Knicks' team slogan is "Represent." Unfortunately, the team represents by dropping home game after home game at "the World's Most Famous Arena," Madison Square Garden. This season, fans have left the Garden with more anguish than pride, as the Knicks have put up a 15-20 home record and a 28-43 overall record thus far.
???Wednesday night's overtime loss against the Los Angeles Clippers epitomized the Knicks' season. Al Harrington got a technical foul for hanging on the rim in the closing minute of regulation while Mike Taylor, a Clippers rookie who has averaged 4.7 points per game this season, scored a career-high 35 points to drop the Knicks in overtime.
???This marks the second time this season that Harrington let the Clippers back into the game with late-game rim hanging antics. Though I personally feel that both calls were unwarranted, blowing games is something I have come to expect as a Knicks fan.
???I am not looking for every whistle to be blown our way, I am not banking on catching a lucky break and I am certainly not wishing injuries on any players from other teams. All I want is for the Knicks to compete hard day in and day out.
???Is that too much to ask for?
???In the last eight seasons, New York hasn't won more than 40 games. The Knicks have made the playoffs a total of two times during this era. I was born in 1989, right around the time when they began appearing in the playoffs consistently, so I suppose one can say I got spoiled.
???I was privileged to watch the likes of Ewing, Marcus Camby, Allan Houston, Latrell Sprewell and John Starks play their hearts out against the fierce competition of Tim Hardaway, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon and John Stockton.
???Nowadays I subject myself to watching ball hogs like Harrington and Nate Robinson get romped by every team in the NBA. The Knicks overpay their clientele to neglect defensive responsibilities, let $20 million sit on the bench for months and hire coaches who refuse to address the most obvious of problems.
???And yet I am still a fan.
???Maybe it's the allure of a better tomorrow that keeps me supporting the blue and orange. Or it could be my love for the game that makes me spend a hundred dollars to see my favorite team lose in person. Maybe it's just my loyalty to the city of New York.
???Whatever it is, the Knicks could end the season on an 11-game losing streak, waste a high draft prick, as they are notorious for doing, miss the playoffs next year and I would still be a die-hard fan.
???In a Knicks fan's eyes, the next season is always more promising than the last, so I'm counting on a playoff run next year. Besides, we're getting Lebron in 2010, so we have nothing to worry about anyway.
