The Knicks may have had an identity in recent seasons and even decades, but it has never been a desirable one. The team was always seen as the best part of a running joke, a laughingstock around the league as the team that piles on losses while missing out on the game's biggest stars.
But this year, the Knicks have a new identity, fighting their way towards a playoff spot while surprising many around the league, and their play under their first-year head coach.
CBS Sports and NBA TV's Tim Doyle joined Moose & Maggie on Friday to talk about the team's newfound identity under Tom Thibodeau.
"When I was growing up, the [Mets], they had an identity," Doyle said. "There was a toughness to them when they were winning in the 80s. The Knicks were winning in the 90s, even though they didn't win a title, you knew they were going to play defense and they were going to play physical. Tom Thibodeau has brought an identity."
Since the turn of the millennium, the Knicks have been one of the few teams in New York that has been consistently dreadful, but now, the tables have turned in the Empire State.
"What frustrates me about other teams in New York is, I don't know what they do," Doyle said. "Know what you do. Are you a running team, are you a passing team, are you going to score? The Nets have an identity, they're going to try and outscore you and they're going to be fun to watch. But they've all bought in to Tom Thibodeau."
The Knicks have tried to formulate an identity in years past, but it hasn't resulted in wins. This year, the team appears to be buying in to Thibodeau's rallying cry, ramping up the defense and inching closer to returning to the playoffs for the first time since the 2012-13 season.
"It doesn't work all the time," Doyle said. "Mike D'Antoni, it didn't work with the Knicks because Carmelo Anthony didn't want to play that offense…you have to have the right players who are willing to buy in."
The Knicks appear to have those players this season, and while their schedule doesn't get any easier the rest of the way, they have given the fanbase a reason for optimism not just for the years ahead, but for the here and now.
"I love the Knicks' identity," Doyle said. "RJ Barrett has been a pleasant surprise. I had my doubts about him, but he's really worked on his game and has become more reliable as a shooter. And Julius Randle…I think he's going to be a perennial All-Star every year."
Listen to Doyle's full interview with Moose & Maggie below!
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