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Jonathan Galassi once wrote a poem called “May.” As poems go, it’s pretty Knicks-y:
The backyard apple tree gets sad so soon,
takes on a used-up, feather-duster look
within a week.
The ivy’s spring reconnaissance campaign
sends red feelers out and up and down
to find the sun.
Ivy from last summer clogs the pool,
brewing a loamy, wormy, tea-leaf mulch
soft to the touch
and rank with interface of rut and rot.
The month after the month they say is cruel
is and is not.
You’ve got the “apple” image, a clear reference to New York City; plus it’s a sad apple tree, so there’s your 21st-century Knickerbockers. A “spring reconnaissance campaign” sending out “feelers” to “find the sun”? Mos def the front office not-tampering as they gauge what Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and other prospective free agents are feeling about coming to MSG. “Rank with interface of rut and rot”? That’s NetsDaily.
As May winds down, the buzz around the Knicks picks up. Whom will they draft? Whom will they sign? Whom will they trade? Why do all those questions use “whom” instead of “who”? (hint: it has to do with objects versus subjects!) Professor Miranda cares little for grammar dogma, and P&T Miranda even less. What I do care about is your questions.
Let’s talk narrative. Statistics. Speculation. Moral judgment. We can talk about last season, this summer, next season, teams of years gone by, players who are here, players who might be, players who used to be, etc. I need your questions to spare the world my uncut thoughts (for instance: I’d rather sign Klay Thompson than any of the free agent point guards this summer, and I really do believe if Marcus Smart were on the ‘94 Knicks they’d have won the title, Patrick Ewing would be more highly regarded by history than David Robinson, and John Starks would be James Marceda’s favorite Knick ever).
You see the danger in letting me run amok. So hit up the comment section with your inquisitions, or make extra work for me by posting them on P&T’s Twitter page. See y’all next week.