New York Knicks: What is the 2019-20 team’s upside?

What is the upside of the 2019-20 New York Knicks?

The upside of the New York Knicks’ 2019-2020 season is winning, defense, and power; a coach who can win; and the acquired free agents from the offseason. The front office set up the team with young players and veterans who are defense and offense-minded. Most importantly, for their own reasons, they all want to play in New York, in Madison Square Garden, for the Knicks.

The upside of the Knicks’ upcoming season is a group of young players, who have been waiting to win, but, unfortunately, could not find victories in 2018-19; not just because they were young and inexperienced in the NBA, but because the roster was not crafted to compete. That was with a top draft selection and up to $70 million cap space ahead to use in the offseason. However, they took the draft pick they were supposed to get, the one who dreamed of playing here.

RJ Barrett, during his first interview, was asked if he were the savior of the Knicks. His answer: “I haven’t played a game yet.” Maybe one day, he will be as he learns and grows from some of the finest players in the league. No, they’re not supermax or even max players. Some weren’t even the starters on their teams, but they’re bulldogs, ready to win, prove and redeem themselves.

How could anyone dare say that a team that won only 17 games last season has an upside that consists of winning? The Knicks, this offseason, “screwed themselves into the ground” according to Neil Greenberg of The Washington Post:

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"Those four players, at best, will add nine wins above replacement players next year, bringing New York’s projected win total to 26 games in 2019-20. If the Knicks had added Davis and Irving for the coming year that win projection would soar to 40 games or more. If New York had lured Durant and Irving to town, you could expect the team to add 20 or more wins, assuming both are healthy, depending on playing time and usage. Even if that moment didn’t happen until the 2020-21 season, it would still be something promising to look forward to in the days ahead. Now, mediocrity is probably the best possible scenario in the win column."

Free Agents

What do you do to lure petulant, injured, supermax players to come to win in the Garden? Nothing. What Steve Mills and Scott Perry did was to ensure there will not be another 17-65 season. That this season their young players would have teachers and mentos. These free agents, for their own reasons, want to be New York Knicks and are ready to be the players that David Fizdale has been looking for.

Julius Randle has improved his game every year he’s been in the league. Last year with the New Orleans Pelicans was his best so far, averaging 21 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3 assists per 30 minutes a game. The Knicks signed him to a three-year, $62.3 million contract, with the third year being a team option.

In a heartfelt video, he promises the New York fans, “This is where I wanted to perform, I promise you I’m ready…” You can believe he will work hard to lead this team to greater wins this season.

Elfrid Payton was Randle’s teammate on the Pelicans last year, for 42 games, averaging 10.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 7.6 assists and had a career-high 16 assists in a game last season. He also scored triple-doubles in five straight games and is No. 5 on the list of players in NBA history to do so. He is in the elite company of Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan, and Russell Westbrook.

Bobby Portis is a 24-year-old, 6-11 power forward who is ready to be the Knicks’ 6th man of the year, Portis said, via Joshua M. Hicks of WAAR Media:

"I want to be Sixth Man of the Year,  that’s always been my goal. I set that goal last year and I’m going to achieve it this year. I’ve been working very hard on my game. Trying to maintain my offense game and expand it. This is going to be a great season for me."

Last year, Portis averaged over 50 games, 14.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists.

Reggie Bullock signed for $8.2 million over two years. Bullock’s original two-year, $21 million contract had to be reworked due to an unspecified health issue. The New York Knicks re-working Bullock’s contract allowed them to also sign Marcus Morris.

Bullock is known for his three-point shooting, averaging 37.7 percent during the 2018-19 season. He also averaged 11.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists, shooting 41.2 percent from the field.

Morris brings a veteran bulldog presence to this young Knicks team. Last season with the Boston Celtics, he averaged 13.9 points and 6.1 rebounds in 75 games in which he started 53. He shot 44.7 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from three.

Signing with New York was not without controversy, however, as Morris reneged a deal with the San Antonio Spurs to make this happen, Per The Athletic, the veteran forward said why this happened:

"I had to make this decision based on the best situation for me and my family. This is no knock on the Spurs. I have respect for them. Pop and I had a long conversation about everything, not just basketball, I have a lot of love for that organization and the opportunity they were giving me to put on a Spurs jersey. That was part of my process. He was the only coach I spoke to besides coach Fiz. Playing close to home, being from Philly, I get to see my family a lot."

Wayne Ellington, formerly of the Detroit Pistons, per Newsday, said the following on his role:

"Ellington said he isn’t concerned with starting or coming off the bench. He is intent on providing veteran leadership to a team desperately in need of it. “I’m here first and foremost to help lead a very young team. That’s one of the things [Knicks coach David Fizdale] and I spoke about, helping to lead. And of course, I’m here be a player, whether it’s starting or coming off the bench, whatever Fiz needed me to do, I’m going to be ready and prepared for it. That’s really not my main focus, whether I’m a starter or not, but I’m definitely coming in here to compete.”"

Signing with the New York Knicks was something Taj Gibson, always wanted to do. At this time, it also provides the 34-year-old the ability to be here with his father, who recently underwent a heart transplant.

The Knicks need Gibson veteran leadership. He has playoff experience and playing with Tom Thibodeau, in Chicago, he knows winning.

Per Marc Berman of the New York Post, Gibson, on signing with the Knicks, said:

"Once I signed with New York, one of the first phone calls I got was from Thibs. “That’s all we ever talked about throughout my time with Thibs — we always talked about New York.For it to finally happen, being able to say I was finally a New York Knick was a crazy feeling. We laughed for a minute. Then he was serious. He was like, If anyone is capable of playing in New York, you’re a New York-style player.’ He knows me that I will play hard every night."

The Coach

Fizdale enters his second season as the head coach. WFAN’s John Schmeelk said on the 45-year-old:

"Despite having 82 regular-season games under his belt as Knicks head coach, Fizdale remains a mystery. Going into the season, Fizdale preached he was going to coach a high paced team. The Knicks finished 17th in pace despite having one of the younger teams in the league and playing from behind much of the season. They seldom looked like the team Fizdale described before the season with no good explanation of why they didn’t."

It is no secret that Fizdale wants a strong, aggressive, defensive team. A fast-paced team. He did not have that during the 2018-19 season. Taking a look at the team’s offseason moves, he has more to work with this year.

When he was asked to do the job he was given the team’s vision from Mills and Perry, which the latter man reiterated the word “sustainable” several times. They want to build a team to last, that can be maintained and upheld. A team of players that stay together, grow together, win together, sustain together.

Per SNY’s Ian Begley, one current coach questioned what this team’s identity is, hoping Fizdale “gets a fair shot” to turn this team around:

"Current NBA coachWith the Knicks, you’re also thinking, ‘What’s their identity? How do they want to play?’ You look at Brooklyn (over the last few seasons) and they had a plan and a style. They shot threes, they played fast, they defended. I didn’t know the Knicks’ identity last year. And in general, you just hope that (Fizdale) gets a fair shot. I don’t know if their other recent coaches got a fair shot. You just hope that he’s part of the plan and that the team fits who he is as a coach.”"

Mills and Perry were very direct in what he wanted from Fizdale:

• Build a sustainable winner here
• Building this franchise back into a sustainable winner that one day we hope competes for an NBA Championship.

New York, start winning.