Knicks’ appalling excuse is terrible look for Mike Miller

It’s an insulting notion to most sports fans, especially those who spend their hard earned money to watch the Knicks play basketball. It’s the notion that grown men being paid an excellent salary to play a kid’s game have to learn how to play 48 minutes of hard basketball.

Think about it. Your average boss usually doesn’t allow you to give half an effort until you figure out how to give 100 percent at all times. Yet, this is what the Knicks were trying to sell after an embarrassing 121-115 loss to the lowly Wizards on Monday night at Madison Square Garden.

There are few games the Knicks will play this season when they are expected to win.
Monday night was one of them. As bad as the season has gone for the Knicks, now 7-24, it has been equally as bad for the Wizards, who before Monday night had lost three straight games and seven of their past eight, and were 8-20.

This was a chance for the Knicks to bring some holiday cheer to their home fans and have something to smile about. Instead, it was the Wizards, who left the World’s Most Famous Arena feeling festive, while the Knicks were grumbling bah humbug.

Given the circumstances, it was a terrible showing by the Knicks, who have now lost four of five. Their primary excuse was not playing hard for a full 48 minutes.

“We didn’t play a consistent 48 minutes in simple terms,” interim coach Mike Miller said. “We got off to a good start and did some things well. Then we hit a stretch in there where we didn’t do enough good things and they were able to do some things they needed to do.”

OK, that happens in the NBA. Problem is the Knicks said their lethargic approach didn’t just rear itself in the game. It started in the morning shootaround.

“Our approach the whole day was terrible, from shootaround on,” said forward Julius Randle, who led the Knicks with 35 points. “I think we had a bad approach from top to bottom, myself included. We could have been better. We jumped out on them and got the lead, but we didn’t sustain it with 48 minutes of good basketball.”

Rookie RJ Barrett, who had 18 points, echoed Randle.

“It starts in shootaround,” he said. “We have to come in everyday ready to go. We just have to play hard and fight with pride.”

That’s the only way bad teams can compete; playing hard for 48 minutes and trying to outwork the opposition. Instead, the Knicks were schooled by a roster packed with G-League players.

It’s hard to believe the Knicks began this season believing they would field a competitive team, maybe not playoff caliber, but certainly competitive. Instead, they couldn’t beat one of the worst teams in the NBA on their home floor.

“It hurts when someone comes in your house and outworks you,” Barrett said.

Never mind the Knicks’ late rally where they trailed by 17 with about five minutes remaining and cut it to 118-115 with 48 seconds left. That was as close as the home team would get.

This was not a game where a late rally should matter. This was about approaching a 48-minute game and playing for about 24 of it.

“It started in our shootaround. We had a lack of focus,” said Damyean Dotson.

It was suggested a day off on Sunday may have led to their inconsistency on Monday. That’s a losers’ mentality. What happened to being fresh and ready to go?

This wasn’t a good look for Miller. If he can’t get his team ready to play a hard 48 minutes on a consistent basis, then he won’t be the long-term coach and most of these players won’t need to be on the roster next season.