New York Knicks: Steve Mills writes blog about future
New York Knicks president Steve Mills wrote a blog outlining his plan for the future of the organization. The primary focus: Executing a youth movement.
The New York Knicks are attempting to rebuild in the midst of one of the most star-studded eras in NBA history. The Association is in a proverbial arms race, and the Knicks are attempting to keep the pace with what’s somehow evolved into an unorthodox approach.
As fans find themselves questioning what’s to come next, the front office has provided an in-depth answer to that question.
One of the more polarizing and entertaining aspects of the Phil Jackson era was the introduction of The Phil Files. The series of articles provided a deep look into the structure of the team and the progress it was making.
In a far more optimistic blog post to the official Madison Square Garden website, president Steve Mills shared exactly what it is that he hopes to accomplish.
The following excerpt stuck out:
"We recognize this is a league of high-flying stars, but a basic element of the game remains true — good passes lead to good shots. I observe. I take notes. I try to learn from everything I see. But at the same time, it’s not my style at all to chase what everyone else is doing. What’s succeeding now in the NBA won’t necessarily succeed, say in three or four years.I’m intrigued by the vacuum that’s left when everyone tries to copy everyone else. That leaves an opening to do something that’s slightly different, and that’s where you can seize an advantage."
Overall, it’s an excellent read that Knicks fans should commit some time to, but that excerpt is a fair indication of the direction the organization is headed in.
New York is aware of the fact that teams are attempting to emulate what the Golden State Warriors are doing. It’s a fair and rational approach in theory, as the Warriors have won 207 games, two championships, and three conference titles over the past three seasons.
The NBA is cyclical in its nature, however, which implies that the formula Golden State has perfected may not be quite as effective once the Knicks are ready to contend.
Thus, rather than attempting to become a carbon copy, New York is looking to take pieces of what works and find a way to put a new spin on it.
One of the primary principles of every great offense is ball movement, which Mills has taken note of. The ball moves faster than any defender, as the old saying goes, and the Knicks have been one of the least committed teams to creating that type of motion.
The Knicks finished the 2016-17 regular season at No. 19 in the NBA with 21.8 assists per game. They ranked No. 20 with an average of 52.0 points created via assists per game.
Even more damning is the fact that New York was 26-21 when it recorded upwards of 20 assists and 5-30 when it recorded 20 or less.
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As noted by president Steve Mills, the New York Knicks must learn to embrace ball movement in order to create more efficient scoring opportunities.
Thankfully, the front office is committed to building a team with that focus.