Roster Turnover
An optimistic take would be that the New York Knicks have revamped and reloaded the roster with new and talented players. A pessimistic take would be that the Knicks don’t have as much talent as the name values would imply.
The realistic take on the matter is that 10 of the 15 players on the Knicks’ roster weren’t with the team in 2015-16—the ultimate reason to dismiss early chemistry issues.
Derrick Rose, Courtney Lee, and Joakim Noah are all starters who will play upwards of 30 minutes per game for the Knicks in 2016-17. They’re also players who were members of teams other than the Knicks prior to the current season.
Also new to the roster are sixth man Brandon Jennings and fellow key reserves Willy Hernangomez, Justin Holiday, Mindaugas Kuzminskas, and Maurice Daly Ndour.
If the addition of new players—that list also includes Ron Baker and Marshall Plumlee—isn’t enough, then try the fact that New York has a new head coach. Jeff Hornacek is just six games into his Knicks tenure and he’s already revitalized the offense.
The fact that there are 10 new players and a new head coach should answer any and all questions pertaining to why New York is struggling early in the season.