Balance Wins Games
The New York Knicks have every reason to pursue a big name in 2016. With that being said, writing off the other guys would be a sign of ignorance to how important role players are to a team’s success.
Most role players wouldn’t be stars on their own, but in a system that enables them to focus specifically on their strengths, they can be crucial.
In a perfect world, the Knicks will sign a player such as Nicolas Batum, Mike Conley, DeMar DeRozan, or Rajon Rondo. Even with one of those players, however, a number of voids would remain.
Thus, if a role player has a specific skill that fits the system, then adding them for an affordable cost should be a priority.
The second unit was abhorrent in 2015-16; both starting guard positions are flawed; there aren’t even many players under contract entering 2016-17. In other words, the second unit is weak, and signing one player to a big contract would the flexibility New York has in improving it.
If the Knicks sign a non-superstar to a max contract, then where does one expect the team to find the money to sign players to fill the other voids?
Next: Learning From The Past