Knicks Waiting For LeBron, Keeping Busy

LeBron's in New York, which makes it darn near impossible to find a story that doesn't discuss the possibility of him being a Knick. Given the way things are going in Cleveland so far, it's hard to feel good about the Shaq-ical Mystery Tour of 2009-10, which likely has the Cavs thinking more seriously about what's next. As in, what do we put out to keep Bron?

But what about the other side of the picnic, the current New York Knicks? The following quote from Larry Hughes(notes) is both entertaining and illuminating. From The Plain Dealer:

"We have fun with it," said Hughes, now the Knicks starting shooting guard who earlier this season predicted James would stay in Cleveland. "All the comments we hear the media make, we exaggerate and be sarcastic with it. Like if we have a bad meal on the plane, we'll say, 'Hey, the meal would be better if 'Bron was here."

Ah, the grass is always greener. We always hear about how badly LeBron needs New York to make himself more than real.

However, the Knicks have fallen so far that their brand needs to luck out in 2010 to keep its head above water. If it were true that playing in New York were a paradise on Earth, and any player who labors under the bright lights of MSG will make back his own weight in toothpaste endorsements, then Hughes and company wouldn't joke about "wait 'til LeBron gets here."

I know, I know, it's only humor. But humor carries within it a germ of truth, if not repressed anger or anxiety. When a player is positioned as New York's savior, it's very hard for the current team to feel whole, appreciated or like it's doing anything other than lounging in a holding pattern. Consider it a respectable version of tanking. In turn, you have to figure this malaise further deflates the Knicks, as a competitive and commercial entity, and thus hurts the luster that would attract James (or Wade).

Cleveland spends their spare time worrying about his exit, New York pines for him, the current Knicks are bored. And all the while, the pressure mounts on James to win a title, making his real options next summer all the more limited.
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