New York Knicks: Strange Faces Lead To Confusion

Being an avid New York Knicks fan can be a struggle at best. Perennial losing teams, punctuated by various player indiscretions, coaching blunders and ownership faux pas, can take a toll on even the most optimistic supporters. But, in some ways, this year’s follower is having more trouble keeping the facts about the team straight than they are having trouble with the team.

Sure head coach Derek Fisher missed a full day of training camp for “personal reasons,” which later were linked to his involvement in a physical altercation with Matt Barnes, his former Los Angeles Lakers teammate, one-time Knick and current NBA player, after being found at the Barnes’ soon-to-be-ex-wife’s house.

They don’t call this Team Turmoil for nothing.

But perhaps the most frustrating thing Knicks fans have had to deal with this preseason has been the lack of knowledge about this transformed roster and the frequently incorrect reporting of basic facts about the team, which can happen when the 15-man roster is expected to have nine new faces on it.

Knicks fans are a passionate group; NY fans, across the major sports spectrum in general, tend to be. They are also a knowledgeable fan base, one that takes pride in knowing its team, inside and out. But what happens when there is so much turnover on the team that basic facts are commonly gotten wrong? Let’s take a look:

Top draft pick Kristaps Porzingis just turned 20, although a few blogs and thereby innumerable fans must have thus far only read his draft bio, leaving him stuck at 19 for months, like some 21st century plot line from a Tom Hanks movie. And speaking of Big, the #4 overall pick out of Latvia, by way of Spain, is very, very big, although exactly how big is apparently up for debate.

Despite being listed at 7’3″ in NBA Summer League and in official team stat sheets, he is frequently described in print as being 7’1″ or 7’2″, forever infuriating Knicks readers who wish he would stop shrinking and growing with each new blog post.

Also apparently not settled science is his weight, which has fluctuated, on paper if not in reality, from 220-244 pounds this preseason. As Mark Berman of the NY Post reported, Porzingis (who was listed at 233 in Summer League) told reporters he had added 11 pounds of muscle to his frame over the offseason, in an effort to bulk up to play in the NBA this season.

Whatever number he is actually tipping the scales at is anybody’s guess at this point, but fans wish the daily reports would just settle on a figure.

Have you heard of Derrick Williams? The former No. 2 overall pick (or No. 4 pick, if you believe a certain Knicks Podcast) has been labeled a bust after failing to catch on in Minnesota or Sacramento since being drafted in 2011. However, his team-leading 44 points over the first two preseason games (against NBA teams) have left scribes scratching their heads, unsure how to maintain the bust narrative, with some going so far as to ignore the stats completely while simply saying he “struggles with the triangle offense.”

Kyle (“I am not a Flushing Guy”) O’Quinn, had his moment during Media Day, showing more humor than anger over the misinformation that is running rampant in blog and media circles. With this much turnover, information can be erratic and facts can become frequently skewed.

As fans can attest, a clear narrative would help make things a little more palatable and a little less confusing…two traits the New York Knicks have not been known for in recent years.

Next: NBA: Top 10 MVP Candidates In 2015-16

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