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The Knicks are in the same spot they stood before last night’s 105-91 win over the Pistons. A victory over the worst team in the NBAdoesn’t change anything. There is no result this season that will alter the big picture. The Knicks, who haven’t won consecutive games since October, aren’t good enough to contend for a championship. They also aren’t bad enough to collect a large share of ping-pong balls in the draft lottery. They are in the same position as so many teams in the league. And many people believe it is the worst place for a franchise to be.

After one of the most surprisingly exhilarating seasons in franchise history, the Knicks feel further from contention than they were last spring. The biggest roadblock to a championship starts with the absence of transcendent talent. Historically, most championship teams featured at least two stars. Only one team in the past four decades (2003-04 Pistons) has won a title without a true superstar. And even if a future Hall of Famer landed in New York, the Knicks’ supporting cast isn’t reliable enough to support a superstar, a la Hakeem Olajuwon’s Rockets, Dirk Nowitzki’s Mavericks and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Bucks.

There is no quick or simple solution. It’s a predicament that’s led countless desperate teams to tank, to sacrifice entire seasons for the unlikely chance of landing Olajuwon or Patrick Ewing or Tim Duncan or LeBron James. The 76ers employed the most blatant, lengthy and abhorrent use of this strategy, via “The Process.” It resulted in the team winning an average of fewer than 19 games per season from 2013-14 to 2016-17. The most infamous tanking scheme of all time showcased the inherent flaws in its design, necessitating incredible luck and improbable foresight.