What could be a worst-case scenario for the New York Knicks in the 2019-20 NBA season?
The New York Knicks entered this offseason with intentions to acquire not one but two franchise-altering players via free agency and another in June’s NBA Draft; but Plan A turned into Plan B and then into Plan C as New York missed on Zion Williamson and ended up with the No. 3 overall and drafted Williamson’s Duke teammate, RJ Barrett.
That was the start of an offseason filled with changed plans and a roster of second and third free-agency options leading to the worst-case scenario for this organization.
In July, as free agency heated up, the Knicks swung and missed on Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving who both joined the crosstown rival Brooklyn Nets on max deals and refused to pay the market for overpriced All-Star-caliber players, who could not turn these Knicks into championship contenders.
So the Knicks turned their attention to short term deals with veterans like Marcus Morris, Wayne Ellington, Reggie Bullock, Taj Gibson, Bobby Portis, and budding super-star Power Forward, Julius Randle, who’s potential is through the roof offensively.
However, Randle has been a defensive liability his entire career and someone who’s missed time with various leg and foot injuries since his rookie year, when he broke his leg playing for the Los Angeles Lakers forcing him to miss the entire 2014-15 year.
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New York can’t afford an injury to Randle or defensive miscues that will take games away from a team who will try and fight for Eastern Conference relevancy.
This 2019-20 Knicks team has the potential to squeeze into playoff contention, with a returning young, talented core of Allonzo Trier, Kevin Knox, Dennis Smith Jr, Damyean Dotson and Frank Ntilikina, highlighted by big man Mitchell Robinson.
Ntilikina will get what possibly is his final shot to show his development; he seems to have made strides in his offensive game shown at the FIBA Basketball World Cup, where at times he was the best player on the court. Can he show consistency? The Knicks need him to.
This group will provide fans with highlights to remember and some moments to forget, it’s what a young NBA team searching for its identity does, providing hope for the future at the expense of losing.
David Fizdale, entering his sophomore season as Knicks head coach, struggled with finding a consistent rotation last season, due to injuries and inept play. Figuring out a rotation is something he will have to resolve early with a roster of young players mixed with the veteran acquisitions, Steve Mills and Scott Perry made this offseason. If he struggles to do so, New York will struggle to win games and ultimately find themselves vying for ping pong balls in next year’s NBA Draft Lottery, an event Knicks fans will like to emotionally and physically detach themselves from.
The Knicks may have new faces and a young and talented core returning, but if the bad habits on the court become contagious, it’ll be another season of doom for this team and its fan base; a season already considered lost to most before tip-off and a worst-case scenario for a team looking to take the next step in development and contention.