The New York Knicks have not made the playoffs since 2013. The Knicks have not lost less than 50 games since 2013. The Knicks have been an embarrassing and pathetic franchise for decades. A great organization starts with a great front office and great ownership. Well, the Knicks lack that tremendously. James Dolan is one of the worst NBA owners in the league and his front office is also terrible. The Knicks are one of the worst at drafting as well with the exceptions of RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson. However, the Knicks future is brighter than most people think.
RJ Barrett was selected with the third pick in the 2019 draft. In his rookie season, Barrett averaged 14.3 points per game, 5 rebounds per game, 2.6 assists per game, and 1 steal per game. There is still tons of potential for Barrett and he is only going to get better with experience and the right system. However, RJ Barrett is capable of putting up 20 points as his career high is 27 points against the Atlanta Hawks. Barrett is only 20 years old and is already the Knicks Franchise shooting guard for the future.
Mitchell Robinson is also a future star in the making. The Knicks took Robinson 36th overall in 2018. This past season he averaged 9.7 points per game, 7 rebounds per game, and 2.4 blocks per game. He shot 74.2% percent from the field shattering Wilt Chamberlain’s record for best shooting percentage all time in a single season. Robinson has already emerged himself as a future star as well as one of the best shot blockers in the league. He also is only 22 years old. Robinson has already inserted himself into a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
The New York Knicks also have Kevin Knox and Frank Ntilikina. Even though, they are not that good or at least right now they still have tons of potential. Knox is only 20 years old and added 12.8 points per game in his rookie campaign. If he wants to breakout he needs to work on being a better shooter and a better defender. Ntilikina is a good passer and a great defender. However, he also needs to work on becoming more consistent on offense from a scoring and shooting aspect. Ntilikina is only 21 years old so there is still tons of room for him to develop as well.
If these young players have a chance at developing and becoming better players in the NBA it is crucial that they have a better coaching staff. The Knicks have hired and fired numerous coaches since the 2013 playoff run. The Knicks are interviewing many coaches and some potential candidates are interim Knicks coach Mike Miller, and former Nets coach Kenny Atkinson. I do not know who the best candidate is for the Knicks however, they cannot afford to mess this up again. The Knicks hired Leon Rose to be the next President of basketball operations. Hopefully, with Rose’s presence the Knicks can hire a good coaching staff that can change the culture and direction of the franchise as well as attract free agents.
The Knicks also have a good amount of cap space in the next two years that they could use to attract some free agents with. Madison Square Garden is one of the most well known arenas in the country and many athletes love performing here. Also, the Knicks have a lot of draft capital since they are bad every year as well as the two first round picks the Knicks received from the Mavericks as part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade.
If this new coaching staff can get on board and help the team as well as smart draft picks and smart signings, the Knicks future will be looking bright and they will be heading in the right direction.
Brian's World of Sports 