The New York Knicks are as divisive a team as any in professional sports. Whether New York has built a contender or a non-factor, everyone seems to have an opinion about the quality and potential of the roster.
As the Knicks come off of what many have called a successful offseason, the resistance has been just as strong as the support.
With Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis already in the fold, team president Phil Jackson found free agents with immediate value. Derrick Rose, Courtney Lee, and Brandon Jennings addressed the voids in the backcourt, and Joakim Noah is expected to start at the 5.
Though New York appears to have made progress, ESPN’s 2016 Summer Forecast has the Knicks on the outside looking in of the NBA Playoffs.
"The Knicks were the most improved team last season in terms of win-loss record, and now they’ve added former MVP Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah to the fold. If healthy, our projections could short the Knicks. However, our panel knows that Rose has missed 244 games the past five seasons and Noah has missed 68 games the past two seasons."
With all due respect, the 40-win projection is quite low.
In fairness, the writers at ESPN are rational to question whether or not the Knicks can remain healthy in 2016-17. Jennings, Noah, and Rose all have their share of injury concerns, and overlooking that would be asinine.
Though the skepticism is understandable, here are five reasons why those around the NBA should have more faith in the Knicks.
Next: Leading The Charge
5. The Right Coach
In 2015-16, the New York Knicks did an excellent job of making things more difficult than they needed to be on offense. New York rarely scored points in the paint, didn’t embrace the 3-point shot, and couldn’t formulate much of a transition offense.
Though some remain skeptical, the arrival of head coach Jeff Hornacek is exactly what the Knicks needed to address these flaws.
The Knicks were dead last in the NBA with 35.8 points in the paint per game. New York was also dead last with 8.4 fast break points per game, and No. 29 with 12.1 transition points per game.
In other words, the Knicks didn’t push the pace, get out in the open court, or finish at the rim—and that’s where Hornacek comes in.
Hornacek told starting point guard Derrick Rose that the Knicks will make it a point to run the pick-and-roll in 2016-17, per Lang Whitaker of NBA.com. That’s a breath of fresh air after New York ranked dead last in points scored by the pick and roll ball handler, and No. 26 in points via the dive man in 2015-16.
Hornacek is also known as a coach who likes to push the pace, which should help New York become significantly more efficient on offense in 2016-17.
Next: Breaking Through
4. Creating Penetration
The single most significant issue for the New York Knicks in 2015-16 was the inability to create penetration. New York ranked dead last with 15.5 drives per game and 10.4 points via drives per game.
The addition of players such as Derrick Rose, Courtney Lee, and Brandon Jennings should help New York immediately improve.
Rose finished the 2015-16 season at No. 14 in the NBA with 8.9 drives per game and No. 9 with 7.7 points via drives per game. That’s just 2.7 fewer than New York had as a team, meaning Rose nearly matched the Knicks’ production on his own.
For perspective, Jerian Grant led the 2015-16 Knicks with a grand total of 2.4 points via drives per game—5.3 fewer than Rose.
Though Jennings and Lee aren’t necessarily elite slashers, both are crafty finishers who can pull up and shoot. It’s also worth noting that a healthy Carmelo Anthony should be able to be far more effective when tacking the basket.
Considering New York won 32 games while failing to create penetration with any form of consistency, it stands to reason that it would add significantly more wins by merely becoming average in this regard.
Next: Natural Development
3. Kristaps Porzingis: Natural Development
Kristaps Porzingis is one of the most tantalizing young players in the NBA. A unanimous selection to the 2016 All-Rookie First Team, Porzingis is well on his way to becoming one of the most dynamic players in NBA history.
Thus, while there’s no way to accurately project how good he’ll be next season, it stands to reason that Porzingis will progress.
Porzingis finished his rookie season with averages of 14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.9 blocks, and 1.1 3-point field goals made per game. He averaged the most points, rebounds, and blocks by a Knicks rookie since Patrick Ewing in 1985-86.
Most impressively, Porzingis became the first rookie in NBA history to record at least 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 100 blocks, and 75 3-point field goals.
Porzingis has added muscle to his frame and is working tirelessly to polish his skill set. The organization has maintained its stance that he should build his body and game progressively, which is the proper approach to take.
If Porzingis takes the next step in his development in 2016-17, then that alone should make the Knicks a more legitimate postseason contender.
Next: Getting The Legs Back
2. A Healthy Carmelo Anthony
Though outsiders will deem it an excuse, it should be acknowledged that Carmelo Anthony wasn’t healthy in 2015-16. He struggled to get elevation on his jump shot, which resulted in his uncharacteristically inefficient shooting.
Some may chalk that up to Anthony getting older, but it was more a product of his having a limited offseason due to the knee surgery that he underwent in February of 2015.
Anthony expanded his game in 2015-16, but his scoring efficiency took a massive hit. That was a direct result of his release point constantly changing as he adjusted to his jump shot coming from a lower height.
With a full offseason to train and get his body into game shape, Anthony should come back with a vengeance in 2016-17.
Anthony will have a chance to push himself when he makes the trip to the 2016 Summer Olympics. For what it’s worth, Anthony followed his past two Olympic runs by reaching the 2009 Western Conference Finals and leading New York to 54 wins in 2012-13.
If Anthony comes back with the same fire and hunger that he’s displayed in the past, it’ll be tough to deny New York’s status as a postseason-caliber team.
Next: The No. 1 Factor
1. The Sense Of Urgency
The New York Knicks aren’t going to make it easy on opponents. That’s not a statement that’s supported by the statistics, but instead an evaluation of the identity of the team that Phil Jackson has pieced together.
That hunger for success—the dog mentality, as many players have described it—is what will make the Knicks a postseason team in 2017.
Anthony, Noah, and Rose have all been to the Conference Finals, but never returned after their respective first appearances. Lee reached the NBA Finals as a rookie, and has been a postseason mainstay in recent seasons, but never got back.
Thus, four of the Knicks’ five starters enter the season with a hunger for a championship and an understanding of how their window isn’t quite as open as it used to be.
Furthermore, Brandon Jennings needs to prove he can remain healthy and Lance Thomas has to prove he was the right forward to bring back between he and Derrick Williams. Coupled with Kristaps Porzingis attempting to prove he’s not a flash in the pan, the Knicks are hungry.
This may not be quantifiable, but teams that play their hearts out from buzzer to buzzer tend to fare well.
must read: How Derrick Rose can help the Knicks contend
As a skilled, relatively deep, and downright hungry team, the Knicks have the tools to make the 2017 NBA Playoffs. to become a true contender.