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Plenty of people will be glad to see the back of 2008 and you can certainly add the New York Knicks to that long list. The historic team from the world's capital is currently on a six game losing streak and is fourth from the bottom in the Eastern Conference, writes Nick Shiambouros.

To say that failure is unacceptable for the New York Knicks is a huge understatement.

At this year's draft fans actually booed rookie signing Danilo Gallinari because they felt he did not have the heart to play for this team. This kind of behaviour is not uncommon amongst some New York fans.

The franchise has only reached the play-offs twice in the last eight seasons and since the departure of the great Patrick Ewing they have been on a downward spiral. Isiah Thomas was appointed president at the end of 2003 but after a string of disasters and embarrassments on and off the court he was fired at the end of last season.

Donnie Walsh is the new team president and he appointed Mike D'Antoni as head coach in May on a four year deal. The Knicks have somehow turned itself in to an East coast version of the Los Angeles Clippers and are in a constant rebuilding mode. The problem for New York is that they are expected to win championships and failure is not an option.

I have been to Madison Square Garden a couple of times in recent years and the fans are vocal with their frustration to say the least. New York fan Spike Lee and friends are clearly not happy at all and even the celebrities are fed up with this situation.

Point Guard Stephon Marbury, currently earning $21m per year and in the middle of a bitter dispute with team-mates and coaching staff, has not played a single minute for them and does not figure Mike D'Antoni's future plans.

Marbury is a quality point guard and realistically if New York did not want him they should have bought him out of his contract and let him go. $21m a year for not playing is a jaw dropping amount of money and although the Knicks will eventually have to buy him out, the situation has hurt the franchise immensely.

New York are definitely a team to oppose going forward and because of their perceived stature they will represent poor value. I really can't see any way this current rotation can turn things around for them and I will be opposing them with the handicap over the next 10 games.

On Sunday they host bitter rivals Boston who thrashed them 104-59 last year after some Knick players taunted the Celtics before the game. I somehow don't see that happening again anytime soon.

The rest of the 10 game schedule includes a trip to Oklahoma who have the worst record in basketball with only three wins to date but against New York in the midst of this slump anything is possible.

When the famous ball drops at midnight on New Year's Eve in Times Square some Knick fans will hope it lands on the Garden by mistake to end this dismal season for them early.

Have a happy and prosperous New Year...

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