Are you cheering the Knicks in November for what you criticized the Yankees for in October — namely being too old?
By average age, the Knicks are one of the oldest teams in NBA history. They have the two oldest active players in Kurt Thomas and Jason Kidd (though that will change when the Clippers’ Grant Hill returns from injury) and four of the top five with the inclusion of Marcus Camby and Rasheed Wallace. Plus, the Knicks also have 35-year-old Pablo Prigioni.
I have written often about the problematic nature of having too much age on a team, usually in association with the aging Yankees, and most frequently in this period of more dedicated testing for performance-enhancing drugs. And, obviously, it would be best — no matter the sport — to have as many great players in their primes as possible.
But to me the real problems with older players come if:
1) They are signed to large, long-term deals like Alex Rodriguez. Because then an organization is tied to the fade — and the issues surrounding it — for many years. Andruw Jones and Freddy Garcia wilted as the 2012 season progressed, but they were supplementary parts that could be discarded after the season, much like Thomas and Wallace if necessary.
2) Older players are injury prone. Obviously, with age comes a greater risk of injury — but also a greater knowledge of how to eat, sleep and train to make it through a season at a high level. Nick Johnson was a bad risk at any age, kind of like Amar’e Stoudemire — and maybe Iman Shumpert. However, dedicated players such as Raul Ibanez, Ichiro Suzuki or Kidd have shown durability even later in their careers.
3) They are blocking the progress of a promising prospect. With the Yankees, the veterans actually are helping them stall for time in hopes one day soon Michael Pineda or Manuel Banuelos could work back from arm surgeries to help the rotation, or touted outfield prospects Tyler Austin, Slade Heathcott or Mason Williams can vault to the majors.
4) The roster lacks prime-aged stars. But in the case of the Yankees (Robinson Cano) and Knicks (Carmelo Anthony), the best player is in his prime.
In fact, one of the enduring myths of the Yankees’ postseason meltdown was that it was caused by too much age. This mainly is about how Rodriguez dominates every storyline. Yes, at age 37, his bat and body looked old and slow in the playoffs. But Cano, Curtis Granderson and Nick Swisher were in their primes and performed dreadfully while the Yankees’ three best hitters in October were Jeter, Ibanez and Suzuki — each of whom was at least 38.
Phil Hughes and CC Sabathia — two pitchers near their prime — broke down physically in the postseason. Hiroki Kuroda, 38, went on three days’ rest and excelled.
It is too simplistic to simply demonize the age, especially because there are fringe benefits associated with it. Older players generally bring better leadership. They usually have moved beyond the career phase in which they fixate on boosting their salary potential and, instead, are galvanized on winning.
The Knicks stumbled the past two games, but their early performance had appeared to emphasize team-related elements such as sharing the ball and defense. Maybe that is about Mike Woodson. But it is just as likely about having a critical mass of been-there, earned-that players more interested in rings than bling; about a fraternity that comes with shared experiences, which tends to energize the work environment and make it a place players are excited to go to daily.
That is how it works around the Yankees. The professionalism and team-first mentality gestates from the clubhouse, not the manager’s office. The Yankees have become a destination spot for serious veterans because, among other things, they know they will be sharing the room with like-minded contemporaries. So Ichiro wants to join even if it means playing left, not right, and batting lower in the lineup. Kuroda, Ibanez and Eric Chavez take fewer dollars to enlist or re-enlist with the Yankees.
In actuality this offseason, the Yankees’ savior — not destruction — is likely to come via association with older players.
If you haven’t noticed, the game is awash in cash, and it is pouring — not trickling — down to players. For example, despite a 50-game drug suspension, Melky Cabrera got a two-year contract, and so have backup players such as Jonny Gomes, David Ross and Gerald Laird.
Three-year contracts have gone to Maicer Izturis (who never even has qualified for the batting title), Brandon League (who lost his closing job with the Mariners before being traded to the Dodgers), Jeremy Guthrie (who has the worst winning percentage of any active pitcher with 150 starts) and Jeremy Affeldt (who is a setup man).
In this atmosphere, the Yankees are clutching their wallets as they obsess on not spending beyond this season in the quest of dropping beneath the $189 million luxury tax threshold in 2014. With those guidelines they would be debilitated if they could not find quality players willing to accept one-year pacts.
Kuroda already has, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera are likely to, and before the offseason is over Ibanez, Chavez and maybe even Ichiro will, as well. Now, there are personal reasons for each of these decisions. For example, Kuroda is willing to go a year at a time, in part, because he wants to pitch in Japan again at a high level, not just a farewell tour.
Still, he could have played elsewhere for more. Credit the Yankees for fostering an atmosphere in which veterans are willing to take less. And also for, in general, targeting team-oriented, motivated vets who make others of their ilk want to join the band.
The Yankees and, perhaps, the Knicks are showing that having large senior classes does not mean dropping out of contention.
joel.sherman@nypost.com