What to make of Steve Mills/Scott Perry press conference after New York Knicks blowout loss

Steve Mills and Scott Perry were quick to address the state of the New York Knicks following another awful loss, but their true motives remain to be seen.

Plenty of teams have suffered blowout losses on their home court, and the New York Knicks are certainly no exception.

Just last week, the struggling Sacramento Kings came into Madison Square Garden and walked out with a 113-92 victory. Seven days later, the Cleveland Cavaliers more or less replicated that level of domination in the form of a 108-87 win.

That loss for the Knicks came just two days after a spirited win against the Dallas Mavericks and former franchise leader Kristaps Porzingis. Rather than build off the galvanizing performance, New York’s energy took another dip, reaching a new low so early in the season that the front office couldn’t keep quiet anymore.

When Steve Mills and Scott Perry surprisingly addressed the media following the Cleveland loss, there was no revelation revealed or breaking news to announce, just an unexpected attempt to spritz some water atop a growing fire on the hardwood at MSG.

Nobody is all that surprised at New York’s 2-8 start, not with the underwhelming pieces in place. What’s startling is the unsettling lack of progress that’s kept the team at the bottom of the Eastern Conference when so many others with limited preseason expectations are off to fast starts.

When the front office failed to sign either of Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant, they immediately shifted to selling fans on the potential future of the franchise.

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So far this season, the results have been mixed in part because of coach David Fizdale’s inability to properly juggle his roster in a way that puts these talented youngsters in positions to grow.

Mitchell Robinson only ranks ninth on the team in minutes per game at 17.6. This is in part because of constant foul trouble, but also due to the inexplicable 23.9 nightly minutes given to Bobby Portis, who signed just a two-year deal last summer with a team option after one.

After averaging a combined 50.3 minutes per game last season, Allonzo Trier and Damyean Dotson have been given just 22.2 a night including nine DNPs between them, whereas Wayne Ellington alone is receiving 18.4 minutes per game, including one start.

Hell, it wasn’t until he had no other option when Fizdale finally allowed Frank Ntilikina a consistent string of minutes. Despite Ntilikina’s impressive two-way play during that time, Fizdale seems hesitant to commit to him as a full-time starter for reasons known only by him.

Those free agent signings who were supposed to rebirth the beloved defense of the 1990s? They’re allowing the 15th-fewest points per game. They have also allowed opponents to shoot the eighth-most free throw attempts per game with a defensive rating that places them 21st in the NBA.

Things haven’t been much better at the other end, where the Knicks rank dead last in both offensive and overall net rating.

Analytically, the Knicks are an anachronism — 11.9 percent of their points are coming from the mid-range buckets analytics gags at, along with the third-most unassisted field goals per game from inside the arc.

This laundry list of issues can’t be chalked up to a lack of camaraderie. Julius Randle and Marcus Morris fall victim to tunnel vision time and time again and yet are entrusted with leading the team on a nightly basis. The development of the supposed future of the franchise is being stunted by those who aren’t likely to be present when it comes time to sign a new deal.

To the likely dismay of some fans, firing Fizdale isn’t the answer. Early in his second season, his dismissal would only add to the chaos the organization is desperately trying to move on from.

Despite Fizdale’s misplaced optimism, the playoffs aren’t in the future for the New York Knicks. How this season is salvaged depends on the direction the front office chooses to take it.

An embrace of the youth movement would ship away most of the recently signed veterans when they become trade eligible to free up more minutes in the rotation. To remain on the current beaten path likely keeps New York at the bottom of the standings, only without the encouraging growth from those the team needs it from the most.

Mills didn’t say anything that wasn’t abundantly clear after this embarrassing loss to an equally lowly Cavs team. That he felt the need to say anything at all, though, says everything about the state of an organization frantically trying to climb out of a hole they seem to have comfortably dug for themselves.