The upcoming New York Knicks season will be an exciting one. No matter the outcome, the Knicks will show up every night and compete.
I have thought about the New York Knicks’ upcoming season a lot over the past few days. There’s numerous ways that the year can progress; so many scenarios playing out in my head.
As any Knicks fan would think, our track record signals for another down year. Kristaps Porzingis is hurt. There are too many players that need to progress this campaign for the Knicks to become contenders in the coming years.
Nobody wants to wait in New York; the Knicks’ faithful want a competitive team year in and year out. The Garden was constructed as a destination for superiority, not a palace of jeers and boos.
The rumors have circulated, and many of them lead to Kyrie Irving and Jimmy Butler landing in New York. Tobias Harris has had his eye on becoming a Knick, so I’m calling him a shoe-in to wear the orange and blue in New York next year.
Which brings me to my point: What would the ideal season look like for the Knicks?
New York Knicks: Focusing on 2019 is the right move
Due to limited cap space this offseason and young players on the roster, the New York Knicks must focus on the 2019 season if they have any hope of success.
I don’t exactly know at this juncture. The Knicks can very easily compete for a playoff seed. The best player of our time, LeBron James, just went west, to what seems like the most competitive conference in the history of the league.
The East is wide open. The Boston Celtics, Philadelphia Sixers and Toronto Raptors have the poll position leading up to the 2018-19 season. All five other spots are open for business. Would securing a No. 7 or No. 8 seed in the playoffs guarantee the arrival of a showstopper like Irving or Butler?
Seeing the potential of the team, sans Porzingis, may show pending free agents what the Knicks can do with more firepower.
On the other hand, what if the team tanked? The Knicks have a promising future for the first time since Patrick Ewing was in town. Frank Ntilikina, Kevin Knox, and Mitchell Robinson can’t even legally consume alcohol.
If they all progress this season, the future is a bright one.
Adding another high-lottery pick would start filling out the roster similar to the Sixers and Celtics have in recent years. Building through the 2019 NBA Draft and capitalizing on assets while they are under contract control.
There are so many questions that need answering before this hypothetical plays out.
No matter what, an interesting season is looming for the New York Knicks.