New York Knicks: Grading The 2016 Offseason

New York Knicks fans rushed to Google and YouTube when it was announced that their team came to agreements with Mindaugas Kuzminskas. Who? Mindaugas Kuzminskas.

When Kristaps Porzingis was drafted, Barclays Center filled with boos. Knicks fans still hadn’t gotten the Andrea Bargnani taste out of their mouth. But give the Knicks’ European scouts credit; they hit a grand slam with the Latvian.

That brought more exposure to his buddy Willy Hernangomez. But the American audience for the most part has no idea about Kuz.

Kuzminskas is a shooter, and is exactly what will fit in Hornacek’s system. One of the first videos that comes up when you search Kuzminskas on YouTube is when he played against Team USA at the 2014 FIBA World Cup.

He put on a clinic, and it doesn’t matter that James Harden was guarding him. He was still playing against an elite basketball team, and even though Kuzminskas’ team fell short, he had a great game.

There will be an adjustment coming from overseas, obviously, but the kid has all the tools to be a good player in the NBA down the road. Knicks scouts were right with KP6, and they appear to be right with Hernangomez, and that’s why it’s safe to trust them with Kuzminskas.

GRADE: B-

Next: Sasha Vujacic