The loss to the Boston Celtics will soon be forgotten by fans, but it should have long-term implications on how the New York Knicks build for the future.
Health permitting, a time will come when a veteran Kristaps Porzingis will decimate any and every strategy an opposing coach attempts to utilize against him. Bulked up and fully adjusted to life in the NBA, Porzingis will post up and shoot over defenders with relative ease.
On the other end, his shot-blocking prowess and sturdier frame should make him the best rim protector and low post defender in the NBA.
Assuming those ambitious projections come to fruition, the New York Knicks will be able to compete with any and every team in the NBA. Having a Goliath of an interior player will work in any and every era, especially when their skill set can be labeled in the most significant of ways: Unique.
For as promising a possibility as that may be, it took just three games for the Knicks to be exposed to the cold hard truth: Porzingis isn’t enough.
The Knicks are playing the long game in a division that features two of the deepest and youngest rosters in the NBA. Thus, while rebuilding may be the wise approach, the belief that there’s currently enough talent in place to develop over time is an irrational thought.
Between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers, the Knicks are already trailing in the arms race for sustained greatness.
For all of the star power that Boston possesses with Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, and Al Horford, it’s just as promising from a long-term perspective. New York learned that the hard way when 21-year-old Jaylen Brown and 19-year-old Jayson Tatum imposed their will in a 110-89 Celtics blowout victory.
That trio of Irving, Brown, and Tatum is already shaping up to be one of the most effective young units in the Eastern Conference.
Factor in lockdown defender Marcus Smart (23), emerging two-way point guard Terry Rozier (23), and versatile forwards Semi Ojeleye (22) and Guerschon Yabusele (21), and the Celtics are in an even stronger position.
Account for the fact that Boston is in possession of the rights to a surplus of future first-round draft picks that belong to non-contenders, and New York appears to be at a severe disadvantage.
One could argue that the Knicks can survive by playing to Boston’s weaknesses and building around their big men. The 7’3″ Porzingis (22) will one day be able to overwhelm the Celtics’ positionless lineup, and Willy Hernangomez (23) and Enes Kanter (25) should help him do so as low-post specialists.
The issue with that reality is that, while New York can call their interior a strength against Boston, the same strategy may not always work against the 76ers.
Philadelphia is led by a Goliath of its own in the exhilarating Joel Embiid. In addition to having one of the few players who can rival Porzingis in skill and size, the 76ers have two No. 1 draft picks plying in their rookie seasons: 6’10” point forward Ben Simmons and 6’4″ point guard Markelle Fultz.
Simmons recorded a triple-double in just his fourth NBA game, and Fultz is widely regarded as the most well-rounded prospect to emerge from the star-studded 2017 NBA Draft.
If that weren’t enough, the 76ers have a lockdown defender in Robert Covington (26) and an alluring young stretch forward in Dario Saric (23). They also have two young and promising shooting guards in sharpshooter Furkan Korkmaz (20) and defensive specialist Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (22).
The methods may have been polarizing, but the 76ers have stockpiled talent and already locked Embiid up through 2023.
Thus, while an October 24 loss to the Celtics may not matter in many minds, it may have long-term implications. While the Knicks have young talent of their own, the Celtics firmly established how unstable New York’s perimeter truly is.
A core of Ron Baker (24), Tim Hardaway Jr. (25), Willy Hernangomez (23), Enes Kanter (25), Frank Ntilikina (19), and Porzingis (22) can work, but it’s far from set in stone.
It’s plausible that Damyean Dotson (23) and Doug McDermott (25) will turn heads as three-point shooters and potentially solid defenders. Perhaps two-way players Isaiah Hicks (23) and Luke Kornet (22) will shine, or Trey Burke (24) will realize his star potential while playing in Westchester.
With New York in possession of all of its future first-round draft picks, however, one simply can’t help but be mindful of the manner in which Boston and Philadelphia have stockpiled talent.
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In the arms race that is the Atlantic Division, the New York Knicks will need to value the NBA Draft for what it is: The greatest weapon of all.
It may be the only way to keep up with the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers.