New York Knicks legends Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe believe that former teammate and current team president Phil Jackson has built a postseason-caliber team.
There isn’t much of a debate to the belief that Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe formed the best backcourt in New York Knicks history. To this day, some believe that Frazier and Monroe formed the best backcourt in NBA history.
Regardless of where you place Frazier and Monroe on your all-time list, there’s no question that the Rolls Royce Backcourt knew and still knows basketball.
Both Frazier and Monroe are in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. They won a championship together in 1973, combining flash—both on and off the court—with extraordinary substance.
According to Brian Heyman of Newsday, the greatest point guard in franchise history believes the Knicks have a legitimate opportunity to make the playoffs.
"“Yeah, definitely,” Frazier said. “Once a New York team gets in the playoffs, anything can happen. The crowd can really catapult them. And it’s going to be a very exciting team. They’ve got a lot of quickness, a lot of razzle-dazzle out there.”Frazier said Jackson “filled all our needs . . . The only problem, of course: Can they stay healthy? All these guys have injury history. That’s the gamble that he’s taking.”"
That’s the biggest question of all.
The Knicks have built a roster with enough talent to make the playoffs. Unfortunately, the likes of Carmelo Anthony, Brandon Jennings, Joakim Noah, and Derrick Rose have all suffered a severe injury at some point over the past three seasons.
New York can contend if it remains healthy, but skepticism is understandable from those who believe it will struggle to do so.
Beyond the talent, Frazier hit the nail on the head. New York has the personnel to make the playoffs with, and once it gets there, the crowd at Madison Square Garden makes anything possible—just ask the 1998-99 Knicks.
Monroe agreed with Frazier’s evaluation, adding that New York is a far more cerebral team than it used to be.
"“They could very easily be a playoff team,” Monroe said. “ . . . All of a sudden, this is not the same typical New York team that we’ve had before. This is one that has a little brains to it, a little smartness.”"
That’s been one of the most prominent developments of the summer of 2016.
Phil Jackson, long known as The Zen Master, has built a rather complex roster. There are obvious injury concerns, but there’s also postseason-caliber upside to be found in the existence of gifted playmakers and a defensive-minded supporting cast.
With those weapons, the Knicks should be able to make a long-awaited return to the NBA Playoffs.
The key element of Jackson’s rebuilding process has been the addition of likeminded individuals. The Knicks have a group of hungry veterans who want nothing more than to contend for a title while they still can.
Beyond the hunger is the reality that players such as Anthony, Noah, Kristaps Porzingis, and Lance Thomas approach the game with an emphasis on more than just physical execution.
If anyone knows how Jackson operates, it’s Frazier and Monroe. They were teammates with Jackson on the 1973 championship Knicks team, as well as many other years, and played for the same coach whom The Zen Master studied: Red Holzman.
Frazier and Monroe see great things in a healthy Knicks team’s future, but can these new-look Knicks remain healthy enough to execute Jackson’s short-term vision?
must read: Every starter's most underrated skill
If the answer is yes, then the options will be limitless.