By WFAN.com
"The Knicks are now in first place in tankathon!"
That was one of the first things out of Boomer Esiason's mouth on Tuesday's "Boomer & Gio" show.
The Knicks now own the NBA's worst record (13-51) after falling to the Sacramento Kings, 115-108, on Monday night. Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns (14-51), who had been in the league's cellar, upset the Milwaukee Bucks, 114-105.
"There they are, worst team in basketball again, going through one of these seasons that hopefully won't be a forgettable one because it'll produce three -- maybe two, but hopefully three -- impact star players for them in the future," Gregg Giannotti said of the Knicks.
MORE: Keidel: Knicks Fans Should Prepare To Have Their Dreams Of Durant, Kyrie And Zion Shattered
Those three players would be Duke phenom Zion Williamson, expected to be the first pick in June's draft, as well as two max-level free agents -- the speculation has mostly centered on Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
While he understands how losing could benefit the Knicks down the road, Esiason said he doesn't like talking about tanking.
"Because I've often said that the players don't want to lose," he said. "When they're out on the court or out on the field or out on the ice, they all want to win. They all want to put maximum effort out there. They want to put out a game where other teams are looking at their tape, just in case there's free agency or trade possibilities."
The Knicks and Suns will meet Wednesday night in Phoenix. That game, however, won't factor into the NBA draft lottery equation as much as it would have in the past. Under the NBA's new rules to discourage tanking, the teams with the three worst records have identical odds of drawing the first overall pick.
To listen to the full open from Tuesday's show, in which Boomer and Gio also discuss Williamson, the Giants' interest level in Dwayne Haskins and more, click on the audio player above.
