The standings would tell you that Tuesday night’s loss in Miami for the Knicks meant little - a pair of sub-.500 teams facing off in a nearly empty arena. But for the Knicks, it might mean something else - a meeting with a team that they realize is still the defending Eastern Conference champions and a chance for their young team to test the developmental process.
While the focus was on the debut of Derrick Rose, who joined the team and was cleared in time to get on the court and show that he is an offensive upgrade from any guard on the roster, the 32-year-old was hardly a surprise.