New York Knicks: Offseason predictions for the young core

Prediction: Stay with the Knicks

Mitchell Robinson 

Mitchell Robinson should be considered untouchable unless he can yield a superstar in a trade. He’s flashed the ability to be a dominant shot-blocker and a defensive anchor, something the New York Knicks haven’t had since Tyson Chandler.

Robinson is still very raw, but he is already a high-impact player and will only get better at the age of 22. If the season ended today, Robinson would finish with the highest single-season field goal percentage of all time at 74.2 percent.

His absurd bounce makes him an alley-oop threat at all times, and his ability to block shots and run back in transition makes Robinson a nightmare for opposing teams. He’s far from his prime as a player, and has the potential to be one of the best big men in the Association.

The Knicks would be foolish to move on from him.

RJ Barrett

RJ Barrett had his fair share of struggles this season. Efficiency, perimeter shooting, free throws, and consistency are just a short list of the hurdles he’s faced during his rookie season.

However, these struggles aren’t uncommon for a rookie and are understandable for a player as young as Barrett. Barrett has already flashed the potential to be a valuable scorer, and the Knicks must give him time to grow and develop so he can reach his true potential as a two-way player.

The Knicks tend to give up on their young players prematurely, and Barrett must not fall in the same category.

Frank Ntilikina 

Frank Ntilikina is a polarizing prospect. He’s flashed elite defensive prowess but is a significant liability on offense. His confidence has been the root of his struggles on that side of the ball.

He has the physical tools to be a good offensive player, but his lack of aggression and assertiveness has inhibited him from taking the next step.

However, this season he has broken out of his shell and is starting to look more confident. In his last 10 games of the season, Ntilikina averaged 8.4 points and 3.6 assists on 42.6 percent shooting from the field in just 21.4 minutes.

These numbers are not eye-popping, but his increased confidence is definitely noticeable. At 21 years old, he’s only getting better. If the Knicks are patient with Ntilikina, they have the potential to get the two-way player they’ve been devoid of for years.

Kevin Knox 

Kevin Knox had a rough sophomore season, to say the very least. A consistent starter and offensive option during his rookie season, Knox’s role has diminished significantly this season.

He’s looked soft on offense and has struggled on defense. Like Ntilikina, Knox lacks confidence, and, rather than attacking the basket, settles for low percentage jump shots.

He’s not much of a shot creator or playmaker either, making his future as a small forward questionable. He’s not strong enough to play the 4, but at this point, it may be the only option for Knox to stick with the Knicks.

He’s only 20 years old, though, and has plenty of time to grow. His physical tools and athleticism at 6’9″ are too tempting to drop prematurely. Knox is still very much a project player, and whoever the coach is for the Knicks next season will have their work cut out for them.

Take it from his college coach, John Calipari, who remains confident that Knox’s best days are ahead of him when asked about him by the New York Post:

"“He’s one of the great kids of all time, from a great family. It’s going to take time. What you don’t want to do — and teams have done this in that league — they give up on a young, young player too soon. And now all of a sudden, the guy comes back and they look and the whole thing in New York will be, ‘Well, what if we had him? We gave him away. We should have held on longer. Why did we do that?’”"

It may be a frustrating endeavor, but patience could be key.

If the New York Knicks bring these players back, they could take a significant step towards relevance.