Knicks’ NBA Cup venture can be a dress rehearsal for the real deal

The Knicks face elimination Tuesday night.

Got your attention? Excellent. Because it’s likely you weren’t aware of that, since even the most fervent NBA fan has so far kept a respectful distance separating their most ardent basketball feelings from the NBA Cup, which is in its second year and has successfully managed to maintain interest at something less than a fever pitch.

Fair enough. Maybe it’s the uber-neon court colors that threaten to ruin your TV screen, the odes to pastels and deep blues and reds that sometimes make it look like players are wading in a pool of water or blood. That part still doesn’t seem terribly thought out.

Maybe it’s the fact that the prime motivating factor for the players is the cash bonuses available on the other side of the Las Vegas rainbow — and look, we can write a whole other column or three on why players making eight figures need to be baited into playing with a little extra fervor or intensity.