Kristaps Porzingis has some company. He’s not the only one using the “P word” — playoffs — around the Knicks, not the only one hoping the front office opts to keep the team together rather than dealing assets before Thursday’s trade deadline.
“I think right now, our only goal is making the playoffs,” Enes Kanter said Saturday following practice. “Whatever guys they move or they don’t move, my thing is just focus on the playoffs. Obviously, I like every guy on our team. I would want to play with all the guys for the rest of my season and career because they’re just good locker room guys — besides basketball, they’re really just good guys off the court.”
Those comments echoed what Porzingis said earlier in the week, that he hopes the higher-ups’ focus is on the 23-30 Knicks making the playoffs rather than further rebuilding and developing young players.
“I think they know I want to be in the playoffs and that’s the only thing on my mind,” Porzingis said then.
The Knicks will enter Sunday’s matinee at the Garden against the Hawks having lost two straight games and five of seven, but their optimism hasn’t faded.
“Yeah. I believe [we can make the playoffs],” Kanter said. “This team is really special. In the beginning of the season, people just weren’t believing in us, but I think this team can [do] some really special things. I think this team can beat any team on the court, every floor. I think we just have to stay together, play hard, play smart and we’ve got to bring it every night.
“I think there’s been a lot of talk on social media and stuff — he’s going to move, he’s not going to move. He’s going to stay, he’s not going to stay. I don’t think we should pay attention to that. I think, right now, we’re about [trying] to make the playoffs or not.”
While they are still struggling mightily on the road, with a 7-21 mark away from MSG, they have been more competitive recently outside of a blowout loss Wednesday to the Celtics. They lost by just two points in Milwaukee on Friday night, hammered the Suns in Phoenix, and played both the Nuggets and Warriors competitively in recent road setbacks.
“We’ve got to have guys to make some of those shots when we’re on the road to win close games,” Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said. “But the great thing about it is our guys are giving themselves chances to win on the road. That’s the biggest thing. If we can stay in these games and we learn how to finish them on the road like we do at home, we’ll be OK.”
There have been rumors of the Knicks being active at the trade deadline, and moving veterans like Courtney Lee, Kyle O’Quinn and Lance Thomas. It can be a stressful time, worrying about having a new home. But Hornacek has done his best to keep the focus on the floor.
“For us as coaches and players, this is our team. That’s how we approach it,” he said. “I know it’s extremely hard on the players this time of year. Some guys, maybe veteran guys, have been through it year-in and year-out. They know the drill. I always tell them most of the time your name is out there you usually don’t get traded, because the GMs and those guys are trying to keep everything quiet.
“You just got to play. It’s a hard thing. They’re all human. They’re all wondering what’s going to happen next week. But [they will] try to do their best when they’re out there.”