--Even though most of the faithful came into the season knowing the Knicks were rebuilding, the organization still averaged 19,275 fans per game at Madison square Garden, which ranks seventh in the NBA. The six teams in front of them are all headed for the playoffs.
"We definitely changed the culture," F Al Harrington said. "We got our fans back. If we keep the core guys here without all those trades, we'll be a playoff team." --Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni won over the players right from the start, and he kept everyone positive despite losing game after game down the stretch.
"I think it's a more exciting brand of basketball," C David Lee said. "I think we competed."
Why?
"I think it was coach, his spirit," Al Harrington said. "It's easy to stay positive when somebody believes in you."
Now that they have a working knowledge of the D'Antoni system, most of the players plan on coming back in even better shape to deal with the hectic pace and heavy minutes.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "We didn't always perform at the highest level, and sometimes the energy sagged a little bit. I just thought they responded well. They tried. Sometimes it wasn't there. Sometimes it was there and it didn't work out." -- Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni, on changing the environment in New York.
