The New York Knicks must decide if the postseason is out of reach. Is losing for a high draft pick the most logical choice for future success?
The New York Knicks are coming off of what was possibly their worst loss of the season: An absolute embarrassment at the hands of the shorthanded Memphis Grizzlies team. The team seems destined for the lottery once again, and fans are questioning if the team should attempt a full-on tank.
The Knicks haven’t been to the playoffs since the 2012-13 season. Despite the current stretch of missed postseason appearances, it seems as though the team consistently provides early-season excitement.
This year’s 17-14 start was a sign of hope for the tortured fans, and led to the belief that New York would be destined to escape the lottery drama of years past.
After a string of disappointing, yet all too familiar, heartbreaking losses, the Knicks have now fallen from being in the middle of the playoff race to hanging on by a thread of an MSG security worker’s uniform, slowly being dragged out of the arena.
The repeated cycle of hot starts concluding with disappointing end results begs the question: Should the Knicks take a new approach?
The Knicks being granted a ticket to the lottery is nothing new, yet they have never fully committed to a tanking approach. A prime example is the team giving a $72 million deal to a player who has appeared in just six games in 2017-18.
It’s understandable that management refuses to give up on a season until the draft lottery is the only option. But without a change in a plan, how can one expect different results?
The Case For The Tank
This year’s draft class has the potential to produce franchise-altering prospects throughout the top five selections. Whether he’s the new Stephen Curry or a better Jimmer Fredette, Trae Young headlines a group of young prospects who are making general managers drool.
Young, along with European sensation Luka Doncic and monster big man Mohamed Bamba, would all be prized possessions that should at least make the Knicks consider a tank.
The Case Against The Tank
The potential of adding another star to the roster is a fan’s dream, yet this team may not be the same as the squads before it. While the Knicks do feature some pricey vets, this is a young squad with more raw talent than the older Knicks of yesteryear.
Tim Hardaway Jr., an improved Kristaps Porzingis, and “The French Prince” Frank Ntilikina do not show resemblance to Derrick Rose, Carmelo Anthony, and Joakim Noah. They are young players who have built solid chemistry.
They are still young men searching for success, and are less likely to abandon their postseason hopes until they’re completely squashed.
While a tank is enticing, and the deja vu of falling after a promising start is a not a joyful experience, this team should ride it out. This is still New York City, a place that can attract stars using their egos alone.
The young guys on the squad have shown the potential to instill a winning culture that can lead big names to the team through free agency.
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Whether or not you believe this team can play meaningful games after January, the players do not seem to have given up yet. While this rally cry may end with additional regret, I say in the most New York Knicks fashion possible, these guys should go for it.