The Celtics and Lakers provide examples for how the New York Knicks can return to prominence.
After seeing the Los Angeles Lakers win their 17th NBA championship, which now ties them with the Boston Celtics for most in league history, as a New York Knicks fan, I found myself upset.
The fact that the Knicks haven’t won a championship since 1973 is embarrassing and inexcusable. Since 1973, the Los Angeles has won 11, Boston-6, Chicago-6, San Antonio-5, Golden State-4, Miami-3 and even Detroit has 3.
As a New Yorker, you feel a sense of entitlement when it comes to sports. We are the biggest market in the country and are used to seeing stars across all sports flock to the Big Apple. But in basketball, which is the most popular sport in this region, the success on the court hasn’t matched the passion and the support from the fan base.
It is crazy to think, but most Knick fans have never seen the franchise win a championship. In fact, most fans under the age of 25 don’t recall the franchise’s last trip to the Finals. One can understand how the Lakers were successful this season despite being poorly run: it’s simple, they play in L.A. But why doesn’t that same logic apply to the Knicks who play in the largest market in the country?
Why is it so hard to build a winner in New York?
The reason for the disappointing results have been chalked up to bad management and worse luck. But it can’t be that simple. The franchise has changed ownership multiple times in 47 years. There has been 14 GMs and 21 head coaches since 1973.
So it’s not an issue with one person in particular (i.e. James Dolan), it’s systemic. The reality is that management is afforded less time to show results in New York than in other markets. That is a lot to say when you consider that all front offices and coaching staffs are under immense pressure to produce results.
The reality is that time doesn’t move faster in New York City. The Knicks have 24 hours in a day just like everyone else. Children, animals and flowers don’t grow faster in New York City than they do everywhere else.
So how can the Knicks return to prominence? With patience. And by following examples set before them.
Paths to winning
There are only a few ways to build a championship contender. The obvious route is to get one of the top picks in a draft that has generational talent. It’s no coincidence that LeBron James has more Finals appearances than any franchise in the NBA. When a generational talent enters the league, they will eventually win championships, it’s just the way it is.
Knicks draft record
Unfortunately for the Knicks, they are have not put themselves in position to select generational talents in the draft. Since 1973, the Knicks have only picked in the top 3 of the draft 3 times, and only 6 times within the top 5. Those picks have yielded 2 multiple time All-Stars and 1 Hall-of-Famer: Michael Ray Richardson and Patrick Ewing.
It has also yielded two players that made 1 All-Star game appearance each: Bill Cartwright and Kristaps Porzingis. Since their last championship, the Knicks have only put themselves in position to get a franchise player 5 times in 47 years: 1979, 1985,1986, 2015 and 2019.
Lakers and Celtics draft records
Now compare that to the Lakers and the Celtics. The Lakers have had 2 number one overall picks in Magic Johnson and James Worthy. They have picked a total of 6 times within the top 2, and 8 times within the top 5 picks.
As for the Celtics, they have picked 5 times within the top 3, and 6 times within the top 5. That does not include Larry Bird, who was selected 6th overall in the 1978 draft. He would have gone a lot higher if he and the Celtics didn’t engage in nefarious tactics to ensure he landed in Boston.
The Celtics’ high draft picks have resulted in one player from their championship core, Kevin McHale, but their draft capital also allowed them to trade for other core pieces in Robert Parrish and Dennis Johnson. Their latest set of top 3 picks has produced 2 of the core pieces on their current team: Jaylen Brown and Jason Tatum.
While it doesn’t sound like the Lakers and the Celtics have received that many more opportunities in the draft, keep in mind, they were competing for championships during most of the past 47 years. Imagine if the Knicks would have had a few more opportunities to draft another franchise player to pair with Patrick Ewing?
Looking to the future
I am not an advocate for tanking, and from what we just learned about the Lakers and the Celtics, it’s not necessary. The best way to build if you’re in a high pressure/win-now market like New York is to outsource your rebuild.
Acquire draft picks and draft swaps from other teams, especially ones that are not well-run. The Lakers and the Celtics don’t have great draft records, but they have given themselves enough bites at the apple. Boston recently rebuilt their team on the backs of the Brooklyn Nets.
The one thing that has come from the consistent losing over the past two decades is that it’s been proven that New York fans are patient. As a kid I always heard that New York will not tolerate a rebuild, that the Knicks have to be in win-now mode all the time. Well, that myth has been busted. In fact, the opposite is now true. Fans are putting pressure on the franchise to focus on the team building process instead of trying to win press conferences.
While the Knicks do not have stars on the court, they seem to have assembled some in the front office and coaching staff. They also have draft capital for a change and are one of the few teams with cap space. They are also operating in a challenging economic environment which will force other franchises to make more financially motivated decisions than usual.
New York will be able to do what the Lakers and Celtics have done for years, put a competitive team on the court will also rebuilding. They will most likely be able to acquire a good veteran player like Chris Paul without having to give up quality draft picks. As for the draft, the Knicks missed the opportunity to secure a higher draft pick this season, but the 8th pick should yield them a good player.
Now looking ahead to the 2021 draft. It’s expected to be one of the best since 2003. The Knicks will have their pick, plus Dallas’ unprotected 1st and the right to swap picks with the Clippers. It doesn’t sound like much, but if you think about it, those assets could easily increase in value.
The Western Conference will be extremely competitive next season, Dallas could have a winning record and miss the playoffs. If Luka misses any significant time due to injury, then they will definitely miss the playoffs. So with the flatten lottery odds, the Knicks could have two chances at a top 3 pick.
As for the Clippers’ pick, the Knicks could use it in a trade with a team that finishes with a better record than the Clippers, which is possible due to Kawhi Leonard’s load management requirements.
So after 47 years, the Knicks might be doing things the right way for a change. Let’s hope we can celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1973 championship with a new banner.