ATLANTA – Optimism is at its peak right now. The Knicks are in the thick of the NBA playoffs with a real chance to make the Eastern Conference finals. The tension of failure that cost Ernie Grunfeld his job has been lifted, replaced by the intense, but welcomed pressures of the post-season.
In fact, the Knicks are enjoying this stretch of stability so much they dare not acknowledge the crossroads ahead. Trouble looms no matter how deep the Knicks go in the playoffs. They took a 1-0 lead into Game 2 last night against the Hawks in a best-of seven conference semifinal. They will take no worse than a split to the Garden for Games 3 and 4 where they could take control of the series.
Still, it figures to be a turbulent offseason for three principles currently trying to focus on the task at hand: Sprewell, Marcus Camby and Jeff Van Gundy.
Both Sprewell and Camby have openly questioned the way they’ve been used by Van Gundy. Sprewell, doesn’t view himself as a sixth man. Never has and never will. Camby wasn’t happy about getting only 10 minutes of playing time in Game 1 and doesn’t feel he was fully utilized throughout the season. Since both players have never been publicly critical of Van Gundy’s methods, they’ll likely want assurances that things will change next year if they are to commit to the Knicks.
Take it a step further, and it’s easy to see a scenario where Dave Checketts and his new general manager eventually may have to make a choice between keeping Camby and Sprewell, or keeping Van Gundy. The early thinking at the Garden is that Sprewell won’t be traded in the offseason, his talent too unique to give away without something substantial in return.
His value has grown over the last month where he helped the Knicks qualify for the playoffs and upset the top-seed Heat in the first round. He scored 31 points in Game 1 in 33 minutes of playing time against the Hawks, after averaging 16.2 points over 31.8 minutes per game against the Heat. Allan Houston scored 34 points in 35 minutes in Game 1 after averaging 15.2 points in 35.4 mpg against Miami.
‘If we can continue to grow together we can be effective,” Houston said.
Sprewell says he is too focused on the Hawks to think about what could happen in the offseason.
“I’m not even thinking about next year this point,” he said. But he remains a reluctant sixth-man though his performances would suggest otherwise. “I still feel the way I did in the past,” he said of his disdain for coming off the bench. But winning has made it a moot point for him to complain. “After you go through certain things over and over again, you kinda accept it,” he said. “I think that’s where I’m at.’
Will he be so amiable in the offseason? And what if Van Gundy’s stays, will Sprewell’s role change or stay the same?
What if Sprewell makes it clear he doesn’t want to be the team’s sixth man again? Will the Knicks be forced to trade him? Or do the Knicks kept Sprewell, keep Van Gundy and force the coach to make him a starter? Or is Van Gundy pushed out, so a new coach can figure out a way keep Sprewell happy?
All are volatile issues that will be addressed whether the Knicks get past the Hawks or not.
It’s difficult to read how bothered Sprewell is by coming off the bench. He looked to be upset in Game 1 when Van Gundy waited until 3:04 remained in the third quarter before putting in the game, but the Knicks starters had played well during that stretch turning a 2-point half-time deficit into a 5-point lead.
Sprewell said that contrary to published reports, he wasn’t upset.
“Sometimes he puts me in earlier, but a lot of times he waits until about the 4-minute mark,” Sprewell said. “We all would like to play more. I think everybody on this team, if they could, would play 48 minutes. When you’re competitors and you’re playing in the league and it’s the playoffs, everybody wants to play and be a part of winning. Everybody wants to contribute.”
Including Camby, who may be looking to get out of New York, especially if Van Gundy stays. Camby was so unhappy about playing only 10 minutes in Game 1 that he had to be told to keep his head up by Larry Johnson.
“I don’t think he’s discouraged,” Sprewell said of Camby. “But I think he’s like me in a sense that I would want to start and I would want to play a lot. We all want to play. We want to play as much as we can and be part of the success that we’re having. He just want to compete like we all do.”
Just how strongly Sprewell and Camby feel about that will determine not only whether they’re here, but whether Van Gundy is, too. To trade John Starks, Terry Cummings and Chris Mills for Sprewell, then trade him for anything less than Gary Payton would be a depreciation. Same thing with Camby, who cost the Knicks Charles Oakley. If you keep them, can you keep Van Gundy, who won’t easily budge from rotation that has gotten him this far?
Enjoy it for now – there’s a crossroad ahead.
