Are the Knicks Asking Too Much of Walt Frazier? 1975

[Entering the 1974-75 season, the New York Knicks were running out of gas. Two seasons removed from an NBA championship, the Knicks had lost Willis Reed, Jerry Lucas, Dave DeBusschere to retirement and Dean Meminger to the expansion draft. “Once the season started, I realized how much I missed those guys,” said Walt Frazier. “It was a big adjustment. When you’re playing, sometimes you think, ‘Maybe if these guys weren’t around, I would be better.’ That was not the case. When they were gone, it was very obvious.” Also obvious, Knicks coach Red Holzman wanted more production from Frazier to make up for all the lost points, rebounds, assists, and floor leadership. In this article, published in the March 1975 issue of the magazine Pro Sports, journalist Lee Andre asks: Are They Asking Too Much of Walt Frazier? The answer would be no. Frazier, while playing heavy minutes (41 per game), mostly matched his stat lines from the previous four seasons. But Andre lays out well the challenges…