Getty New York Knicks president Leon Rose, GM Scott Perry and head coach Tom Thibodeau pose for photos with Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier during their introductory press conference.
This is hardly breaking news for hoops fans in the Big Apple, but the New York Knicks are in the midst of a full-on freefall. After biting, scratching and crawling to get back above .500 at 22-21, the team has subsequently lost 10 of its last 12 games, logging some real clunkers along the way.
As a result, New York currently finds itself in the No. 12 spot in the Eastern Conference and multiple games out of the play-in range.
Considering the team played such inspired basketball down the stretch last season, finishing 41-31 and getting home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, it’s an almost unfathomable turn of events. And the downturn has fans and hoops pundits alike pondering the possibility of a trade deadline shake-up.
For his part, though, Evan Fournier — one of the prized acquisitions of what some had considered a successful offseason — is hoping the Knicks stay the course.
Fournier: Don’t Break Us Up
In the wake of the Knicks’ latest drubbing at the hands of the Denver Nuggets, Fournier spoke out on the forthcoming deadline. And while the chips are down and trade rumors are running rampant, he’s ready to double down on the crew as constituted.
“When I say something I mean it. I’m not here b**********g or saying something just to say it,” Fournier said, via the New York Daily News. “I really do believe we have the right pieces. We have talent, we have toughness, we have everything. And we’re not that far from playing better and getting wins.
“It’s just about finding a way to play and sticking with that and building confidence and all that.”
As Fournier sees it, the Knicks just need to keep their eyes on the prize and continue grinding. If they can do so, he believes that good fortune may just find them.
“We just have to find ourselves right now. We’re kind of going through it. It’s a tough road trip. It’s a tricky part of the season, just before the All-Star break and all the trade rumors. Just focus on what matters, man.”
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The Frenchman on Trade Rumors
Of course, Fournier’s comments could be construed as self-serving. His is a name that has been popping up on social media and in the press as possible trade fodder for several weeks now. However, he maintains that he’s beyond caring about the rumor mill at this point in his career.
“The very first time I heard my name in trade rumors was probably my second year in Orlando,” Fournier recounted. “At first it’s a weird feeling to see your name pop up, your friends are all calling you, asking, ‘What’s going on, do you know anything?’
“The truth is as long as nothing happens it doesn’t matter. We have a job to do, we have games to win… Stuff like that, it’s just a business. Year 10, you just don’t worry about that.”
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