New York Knicks: Let’s Talk About the Unicorn in the Room…

The New York Knicks defeated the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night 107-85. It was Kristaps Porzingis’s leadership, however, that stood out the most.

The year is 2017. The New York Knicks are two games over .500 and a guy named Willie Reed just threw down a monster dunk against us in the Garden Monday night … no relation to Willis.

Wait … what?!?!

Well, for starters, the Clipper victory was a sign of true hope, that the Knicks can actually win the games they are “supposed to” win this season.  But Monday night’s win meant much more than just that, a message delivered to those watching closely enough in the form of the most frustrated star in the league — Blake Griffin.

Admit it – Griffin reminds you of every jock/bully ever cast in a High School drama. And it’s not just the cocky look on his face, it’s his whole demeanor. So his team is stuck in a brutal limbo: there are literally zero playmakers on a roster that needs lobs more than Cathy Lee needs Regis (or Kanye needs Jesus!). So what does he do?

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How about a textbook shoulder-heavy clothesline to the neck of Tim Hardaway Jr. amidst a fourth quarter blowout?

*Whistle!* That’s Blake’s fifth foul.

We can’t blame Timmy for reacting, it was a flat-out dirty move.  But the best harbinger any Knick fan can want to see at this point came not more than a few minutes later when a frustrated Griffin came down the court and flat-out shoved Porzingis.

His reaction? Nothing. Play ball. Win games.

Let’s talk about the Unicorn in the room. Kristaps Porzingis showed us all pretty clearly that he has the poise to be a mature team leader for decades to come.

…and by the way, Porzingis also ate Griffin’s lunch Monday night, blocking him at the rim twice and causing him to foul out of the game.  Justice served.

Next: New York Knicks prove there is still more to learn

Look: Beating a deflated Clippers squad sans Danilo Gallinari and promising rookie Milos Teodosic is great. But in that moment, Porzingis’s inaction was the most progress this franchise could’ve shown.  Like Hamlet once famously asked, “to be, or not to be?” — the ironic truth here is that in order to be a leader, he must not be baited.  That is the answer.

It took more than 20 years, but it looks like the New York Knicks have finally found their man.