Hoop Dreams: How The New York Knicks Will Win The 2017 NBA Title

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Welcome to the first installment of Hoop Dreams, a season preview unlike any other. The premise is simple: We’ll be providing 30 of these fictional forays because it simply stinks that only one team can win the title each year. The list of contending teams seems to shrink with each succeeding campaign, and we wanted to provide something to those fans who only get to dream of Larry O’Brien during the offseason. Before October, every team can win the NBA title. Don’t believe us? Then keep reading. – Ed

The Knicks will struggle in the opening month of the 2016-17 season. The specter of Derrick Rose’s civil rape trial will hover over the team for the first few weeks as they lose five of their first seven games — including key games against the Bulls (D-Wade goes off for 43 against them), Cavs and inter-city rival, Brooklyn. Then there’s the late-game argument between Carmelo Anthony and Jeff Hornacek during a particularly brutal Friday night loss late in November to the Hornets and ensuing Frank Isola column for the Daily News claiming that Phil Jackson is inquiring about which teams Melo might concede to be traded to.

But a week later, after a perfect 4-0 stretch, their confidence catapults into the stratosphere. Rose has stopped taking outside shots entirely, and is vivisecting defenses like it’s 2011 again. He’s shooting over 70 percent inside the restricted area and blistering teams with impromptu run-outs that lead to a ton of wide-open layups. Joakim Noah, after looking his age as he hobbled along the first two weeks of the season, is rounding into the form that had him finish No. 4 in MVP voting just three years prior.

Teams looking to score at the rim against New York are met by a stronger and smarter Kristaps Porzingis and a rejuvenated, sprightly Noah. The Knicks lead the NBA in defensive rating for the months of December and January. There’s a slight drop-off in February as both Melo, Rose and and KP are in New Orleans for the All-Star Game, but aside from a silly misdemeanor charge because Porzingis got too loud dancing to Lil’ Wayne in his hotel room overlooking Bourbon Street, the Knicks are right on track to go as far as they ever have in the Carmelo Anthony era.

Melo and Noah both finish in the top-11 for MVP voting (Melo finishes No. 3, Noah No. 11), and the Knicks — to the surprise of everyone — finish the regular season with the second-best record in the Conference (58-24). In the first round they quickly dispatch a solid Hornets team who is only able to take one game off them as they cruise to 4-1 series win and a second-round matchup with the Celtics.

Boston finished with the No. 4 record in the Conference behind the Raptors, Knicks and Cavs. Al Horford banged up his back late in the season and it’s obvious he’s playing at less than 100 percent even when the C’s dispatch the Pistons in their opening seven games. It’s clear Brad Stevens’ crew is just too banged up to do much to stop a Knicks team that keeps improving as the season moves along.

Brandon Jennings, who has been quietly playing the most efficient season of his career, goes HAM in the second round, coming off the bench in Game 2 against Boston to score 54 points as the Knicks take a 2-0 lead back to Bean Town. They lose Game 3 as Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder combine to score 55 and lead Boston to their one and only win in the series. The Knicks capture the next two and Carmelo Anthony goes a perfect 10-for-10 from the field and 8-for-8 from the free throw line to clinch the series win in Game 5 at MSG. Melo is going back to the Conference Finals for just the second time in his career.

But LeBron and a beat up Cavs team await them, with King James one more series away from reaching a seventh consecutive Finals. Kyrie has a weird spiral fracture in his right hand that’s led him to shoot 30 percent from the field in the first two rounds of the playoffs. His struggles continue in the Conference finals and Tyronn Lue shuts him down after a Game 2 loss at home when the Knicks tie the series 1-1 as they head to New York.

Despite a Phil Jackson speech before Game 3, the Knicks give a road game right back by collapsing in the final five minutes to lose Game 3. Except, they aren’t dead — despite a Post headline that calls Phil the “Zen Zero.” Kristaps Porzingis scores a career playoff high 35 points in Game 4, and snuffs LeBron in the final minute to secure a close, 98-96 win to tie the series. Both teams hold homecourt in the next two games to force a Game 7 in Cleveland.

With 10 seconds remaining in the pivotal game, and the Cavs ahead by a point, Melo isolates against LeBron at the top of the key and jab steps before taking one dribble and pulling up from just inside the arc. There are three seconds on the clock when Melo first rises in the air, but instead of the jumper everyone in the building — including everyone on the Cavs — anticipates, Anthony rifles a pass to front of the rim that Joakim Noah catches and dunks in one fluid motion as he’s fouled by Tristan Thompson. The bucket counts, and Noah deliberately misses the free throw to secure the win. The Knicks will return to the NBA Finals for the first time in this millennia.

Unfortunately, an SB Nation writer inadvertently rushes the court before the final buzzer sounds, adding an additional 45 minutes of confusion at the end as the refs try to figure out what to do. The Knicks eventually hang on despite a last-chance LeBron heave from mid-court that just rims out as 20,000 Knicks fans collectively crap their pants. Alas, the spirit of Pearl Monroe descends from the rafters and pushes the ball off the side of the cup.

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Surprising most playoff prognosticators in the West, the Los Angeles Clippers are the only thing standing in the way of New York’s return to basketball preeminence. Chris Paul — who won his first MVP in the regular season — and Blake Griffin are playing at a level heretofore unseen during the post Lob City era in LA. Paul Pierce is even chipping in with the occasional two or three-minute spell during a playoff push that sees them defeat the Warriors 4-2 as they advance to their first-ever franchise Finals berth.

The Truth harkens back to a earlier time in his career by scoring the first 10 points of Game 1 in New York, but Rose and Melo combine to score 50, and a late Courtney Lee three seals the win. The Knicks continue their run and blow out the bickering Clippers to take a 2-0 lead as they fly to the other coast for Game 3.

The third game belongs to Chris Paul, who scores 42 points, dishes an NBA playoff record 25 dimes to lead the Clippers to a blowout, 123-89 win. But Melo solidifies his case for the Finals MVP by dropping 50 points in Game 4 as the Knicks take a 3-1 lead back to their home floor.

They will talk about Game 5 of the 2017 Finals in New York for the next 100 years. The same SB Nation blogger who almost ruined the season at the end of the Conference Finals will write the definitive book about the title-winning Knicks, and his term for Game 5 — “The Wonder of Willy” — will be on the lips of every New Yorker by the end of the summer. Rookie center, Willy Hernangomez, will sub in for an injured Joakim Noah early in Game 5, and proceed to play the game of his life as the Knicks capture their first Larry O’Brien trophy since Clyde, The Captain, Dave D., Pearl and Dollar Bill graced the Garden of Eden.

Running parallel with New York’s shocking Game 5 win will be James Dolan’s federal indictment on racketeering and embezzlement charges. He will be testifying in front of the grand jury when Adam Silver strips him of ownership and gives the controlling interest of the team to a small, privately funded group led by Walt Frazier and Marv Albert. This will all go down in a chaotic week leading up to New York’s victory parade through the streets of Manhattan.

The orange and blue confetti will line the streets all over the island until the next fall.

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