And the Bone Head Plays Don't Stop...

“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” 

To say that quote summarizes the Knicks season would be a bigger understatement than saying Raymond Felton is a tad out of shape. Last night following their biggest win of the season against the defending Western Conference champs the Knicks had a chance to win two in a row in Houston. That was until the Knicks started acting like the Knicks of 2013. After a Beno Udrih misfire from three Tyson Chandler grabbed a huge board setting the Knicks up to hold for the last shot. Sound familiar? Just like his teammate Andrea Bargnani a few weeks ago, J.R. Smith was in no mood to hold the ball instead launching a three that rimmed out and the Rockets got the board and ultimately the game.

The fool in this matter is not Bargnani, Smith or Coach Woodson. It’s the whole team. J.R.’s excuse for launching the three was that he thought the team was down by two. That sounds like something that would be covered in the huddle. To be fair no one besides the Knicks know what was said in that huddle. Did Woodson clearly explain the scenario and no one was pay attention? Was it just J.R. just wanting to be the hero? The only thing that is certain is that this team needs a wake-up call. Someone needs to be exiled from The Garden. Late game management is something all the great teams thrive in and this Knicks team is far from great at the moment. Aside from Chandler, Iman Shumpert and Tim Hardaway Jr. no other Knick seems as engaged in the game. 

The question that no one wants to hear the answer to is ‘has this team given up?’ I say the team hasn't, but wouldn't be surprised if certain players have checked out. With trade rumors now rumbling of Melo to one of the Clippers it is not farfetched to think the white towel is close to being thrown into the ring. If this road trip ends with more losses than wins it will be hard to imagine Melo in blue and orange come next year. Let us pray that last night’s blunder can be chalked up as low basketball IQ and not as something bigger.