These past few weeks may have been tough for Knicks fans, yet, the future is still exceedingly bright if you look at the big picture.
There are a lot of negative story lines hovering around the New York Knicks these days. Ten losses in their last 11 games, Carmelo Anthony’s regressing health, and dropping from playoff contention to a likely lower Eastern Conference finish—it’s not looking good.
In particular, the recent news that the organization would be parting ways with head coach Derek Fisher only a year-and-a-half after hiring him has struck up a significant amount of ire. The former Los Angeles Lakers star was by no means a universally loved figure among Knicks fans, but firing one’s coach in the middle of a rebuilding process is never a good look for any NBA team.
And yet, amid all these pressing issues, New York has multiple reasons to feel exceedingly confident about its future. The expectations of Knicks fans probably grew a bit too sizable in the weeks where the Knicks resembled playoff contenders, however, their regression is by no means indicative of their prospects for the future. When one takes a step back and analyzes the bigger picture, it becomes apparent that this recent rough patch is something that should not worry the Madison Square Garden faithful at all.
For starters, one has to take into account how much the expectations of Knicks fans have ballooned over the past few months. At the offset of the season, the playoffs were not a major concern for most onlookers. The primary goal simply appeared to be to make the jump from historically horrific team to run of the mill bad team, while displaying potential for the future.
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After finishing the 2014-2015 season with a franchise worst 17-65 record, the ever-present pessimism surrounding the Knicks’ fan base was at an all time high. Yet with the addition of solid, genuinely useful players through free agency and the draft, New York finally began to resemble a normal NBA team for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. That didn’t mean they would suddenly make the playoffs a season after finishing with the second worst record in the league. But winning over 30 games and instilling hope for the future certainly wasn’t out of the question.
Around the offset of the winter months, however, the unthinkable happened. The Knicks began to get hot. So hot, in fact, that by mid January, they were hovering right around the .500 mark, and firmly establishing themselves as genuine playoff contenders. For the first time in what seemed like eons, Knicks fans were genuinely excited about their favorite basketball team.
We all know how this story ended. An untimely Carmelo Anthony injury and poor run of form catapulted the Knicks back into lower Eastern Conference mediocrity, and without a draft pick in this upcoming draft, left them without even the fallback option of tanking.
New York Knicks
Upon looking at the situation from a wider lens, however, everything appears to be a lot less dire. Yes, the Knicks probably won’t make the playoffs. And yes, they’ll still likely finish firmly among the bottom feeders of the NBA hierarchy. Yet with the preseason goal of 30+ wins in line to be achieved, and a slew of quality role players and young talents set to help Carmelo Anthony return to the post-season within the next few seasons, the future is indeed a lot brighter than it initially appears.
This brings us to the most promising aspect of this current Knicks team: Kristaps Porzingis. If you haven’t been living under a rock over the past few months, you’ll know all about New York’s latest golden boy. The 7”3 Latvian teenager, who has the height of a center and the skill-set of a small forward, has been an absolute revelation for the Knicks, averaging just under 14 PPG and 8 RPG, while swatting virtually any shot that comes his way with his gargantuan 7”6 wingspan.
Coming into the season, most fans had no idea what to expect from Porzingis. Sure, he displayed his immense talent numerous times during Summer League and Pre-Season, however, he still represented a project who at the very least, would take multiple years to evolve into a genuine NBA star.
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Because of those notions, what he’s accomplished so far has been truly remarkable. By achieving in year one what most thought he wouldn’t achieve until year three, Porzingis now represents a young player on the cusp of stardom, and someone who may very well be able to help Carmelo Anthony win now. If the Knicks can add one more big name free agent (Adrian Wojnarowski seems to think that man may be Russell Westbrook) in the coming summers as Porzingis continues his development into a top-tier player, the Knicks may very well be able to obtain success significantly sooner than most expected.
And with the name of the game over the next few seasons being to finally attract star players to the Big Apple once again, one has to admit that president Phil Jackson has put his team in an excellent position to do so.
Last season, the Knicks roster was comprised mainly of players who for the lack of better words, were simply not NBA calibre. As a matter of fact, with a few notable exceptions, much of the squad was made up of individuals who would’ve been better suited playing their trade either in the D-League or overseas.
This season’s roster, however, is significantly more complete. Free agent additions such as Robin Lopez, Arron Afflalo and Derrick Williams may not represent the stars Knicks fans around the world crave, yet they are legitimate NBA players who have proven numerous times in the past that they belong in this league.
No one will deny the draw that New York City represents in the Free Agency market. After all, playing in the biggest city in America would be a dream come true for a large majority of the NBA’s elite. The problem over the past few seasons has laid with the actual Knicks franchise, and how its roster and management have been so incompetent, most players were willing to ignore the glamour of Manhattan just to avoid joining such an unfavorable situation.
The current roster won’t blow anyone away, however, the fact that it likely won’t scare anyone off will act as a major boost for Phil Jackson’s imminent free agency recruitment. Many players in the past have wanted an excuse to consider New York in free agency, with the situation being simply too dire to make the plunge. Nowadays, with a legitimate NBA roster to boast, the Knicks will have a much easier job selling themselves as a bona fide free agency destination.
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There’s still work to be done of course. However, for the first time in ages, the Knicks finally appear to be on the upswing. The development of Kristaps Porzingis coupled with a steady situation and the likely recruitment of increasingly improved free agents puts the Knicks in an undeniably favorable situation going into the next few season. Hopefully, Jackson ignores the way this Knicks franchise has been run in the past, and continues to build up this team his own way.