Some New York Knicks fans have already hit the panic button. Said fans should remember that, for all of the commotion, it’s only been two regular season games.
If you let Twitter tell you about the state of the New York Knicks, the future is in shambles and the house is on fire. Frank Ntilikina will never play a full season, Willy Hernangomez will never see 20-plus minutes again, and Jeff Hornacek has destroyed New York’s future.
Yet, if one were to look at the calendar, double check the schedule, and acknowledge what the reality is, they’d find that it’s only been two regular season games.
Fans are in the right to be frustrated with the manner in which the Knicks have begun the 2017-18 season. Hernangomez can’t find the court, Ntilikina has missed four preseason games and one regular season outing, and Hornacek is undecided on his rotations.
Considering it’s not even November, however, it’s fair to believe that this is to be expected of a team that only recently committed to a rebuild.
The typical process of rebuilding consists of players being allowed to take the floor and play through their struggles. Thus, fans are understandably frustrated with the fact that Hernangomez has played just four minutes in two games.
It has only been two games, however, and that form of context simply cannot be overlooked when discussing the matter at hand.
The decision to start Enes Kanter at center comes as no surprise. While Hernangomez is an outstanding young talent in his own right, Kanter is only two years older than the 2017 All-Rookie First Team honoree.
At 25 years of age, one can confidently make the claim that Kanter is currently the superior player—no matter whom one may believe will be better in five years.
As for Ntilikina, many of his absences have been precautionary. Hornacek knows just how valuable the 2017 lottery pick will be to New York’s success, and isn’t going to risk the future for games that are being played in October of Ntilikina’s rookie season.
That’s created some measure of confusion at point guard, but even with the questionable rotations, there’s a method to the madness.
If the goal is to play through inconsistency, then keeping struggling players on the floor is exactly what needs to be done. He’s trusting his veterans early and easing his younger players into roles that they’ve never played before—see: Ron Baker running point.
Rather than committing to a rotation this early in a rebuild, Hornacek is both playing it safe and taking chances—chances that could work out in the long-term.
Hernangomez needs more playing time, and Ntilikina’s health will be a key talking point. Hornacek will need to strike a better balance between playing his veterans and younger players, but all of these realities can be solved with time and patience.
New York would be wise to expose its young players to the grind of the NBA, but it must also be mindful of the need to bring players along at a pace that fits each person and talent.
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Having acknowledged all of that to be true, New York Knicks fans still need to be mindful of one critical truth: It’s only been two games.