The New York Knicks put together a starting five last summer that they thought would automatically make them playoff contenders. Sure, on paper they looked great, but they were unable to translate that onto the basketball court.
A miserable 2017 season
Part of the problem for New York was that they had a ball-dominant point guard in Derrick Rose pairing up with a ball-dominant, iso-loving small forward in Carmelo Anthony. Then you had Kristaps Porzingis, who had the talent to be the best player on the team but wasn’t utilized enough. Joakim Noah was injury-prone as always, and Courtney Lee was inconsistent.
The Knicks seeded 12th in the East with a 13-51 record, and are headed into the offseason with plenty of question marks.
Will Derrick Rose stay or sign elsewhere? Will Carmelo Anthony finally be traded? Can Kristaps Porzingis become the face of the franchise?
Cleaning out the house
For one, Rose is a goner. He is not going to stay in a disastrous situation at this stage of his career. He wants to be in a winning situation where he can also showcase his remaining talent. The 2011 MVP had a rather successful 2016-2017 campaign, averaging 18 points, 4.4 assists, and 3.8 rebounds on 47.1 percent shooting. He has already shown interest in the Minnesota Timberwolves where he could reunite with former head coach Tom Thibodeau.
There may be other options available for Rose when free agency officially begins.
Anthony’s situation is obviously a little different. He is not a free agent this summer but could be traded. If the Knicks are finally going to end the Melo era, they must be very smart. They have to use Anthony to try and get many young pieces in return that would complement Porzingis.
In addition, they will need to stockpile draft picks.
In order to rebuild, the Knicks are going to need to gather as many picks as possible. Therefore, trading Courtney Lee and Lance Thomas could also become an option. The Knicks may also try trading Joakim Noah, but it would be hard to deal his overpaying, lengthy contract.
Throughout the season, Willy Hernangomez, Ron Baker, and Mindaugas Kuzminskas showed flashes of brilliance, so it would be ideal to keep these young pieces. They could perhaps become a major part of their future success.
Final thoughs
Essentially, New York has to simply clean house. They must let their veterans go and rebuild around Porzingis, but they must do everything cautiously. They need to be firm when trading Anthony by constantly demanding picks. Ultimately, they will get the right deal.
The Knicks are definitely not going to go far with the current roster. Porzingis is their future, and the veterans must leave. This year was another disappointing, failed season that caused frustration within the organization. Maybe Phil Jackson, who recently had his option picked up on his contract, can turn things around.
