Knicks: What the team’s connection with Kentucky means

Is it a bad thing for the New York Knicks to have such a strong connection to Kentucky basketball?

A lot of has been made of the New York Knicks new connection to Kentucky basketball. The recent signing of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (MKG) now brings the total of ex-Wildcats on the roster to five.

The connection is made stronger by the hiring of former top Kentucky assistant coach Kenny Payne. Many in the media viewed the hire as a typical Knicks recruiting ploy. Thinking the franchise was just looking to leverage Payne’s relationships with NBA stars that he coached at Kentucky in order to convince them to come to New York. But the relationship with Kentucky now goes much deeper.

The college connection in the pros is not new

It’s unusual to see an NBA team linked to a particular college program, but it’s not in the NFL. We have seen several college coaches that transition to the NFL bring in many of their former players. But that strategy is possible in football because the rosters are larger and it’s easier to acquire players than in basketball.

In basketball, most major programs produce maybe a couple of NBA caliber players per season. But Kentucky is not like most programs, they usually produce many more. In fact, as of the 2019-20 season, Kentucky has produced the most players currently playing in the NBA.

1. Kentucky – 28
2. Duke – 24
3. North Carolina – 14

While Duke is a close second, what separates Kentucky is the quality of players they have produced. The Kentucky players have done better at the NBA level than the Duke players and teams have taken notice.

Let’s use the Miami Heat for an example. Many don’t know this, but there was an internal struggle within the organization. The son’s owner and current CEO, Nick Arison, attended Duke, where he was the team manager for the men’s basketball team. While at Duke he befriended future Heat player and current Vice President of Basketball Development & Analytics, Shane Battier.

So naturally there was a familiarity with the Duke program which led to Blue Devil players getting a harder look from the franchise. However, after the 2015 draft where the team selected Justise Winslow from Duke with the 10th pick, instead of Devin Booker, things changed.

After that mistake, team president Pat Riley, a former Kentucky Wildcat himself, changed the mindset. In the 2017 draft he surprised everyone by selecting Bam Adebayo with the 15th pick despite having just given Hassan Whiteside a max contract the summer before. He did it again in the 2019 draft by selecting Tyler Herro with the 13th pick when Herro was expected to go later. As we saw in their Finals run, both players proved to be the right picks for the Miami Heat.

Why it’s good – current players

While the Knicks will most likely not be able to draft a Kentucky player that fits their needs every year, being aligned with the program does make sense for them.

First, they already had two former Wildcats on their roster before Leon Rose and World Wide Wes took over. Their highest paid player, Julius Randle and their 2018 lottery pick, Kevin Knox. Their value and confidence has decreased due to the mismanagement of the former regime. So bringing in a top notch assistant coach that Randle and Knox both know, trust and is invested in their success, can only help get the most out of them.

Why it’s good – creating a mindset

The other reason is culture and mindset. I recall when Larry Bird took over the Pacers in 1997. The team looked like it had peaked under Larry Brown and appeared burned out. Jalen Rose, who was acquired in 1996, was considered a disappointment.

But Bird immediately injected confidence in Rose by setting high expectations for him. I recall Rose explaining his newfound believe in himself. He said that if he was one of the best players in high school and as well in college, there was no reason why he couldn’t be one of the best players in the NBA. That logic made perfect sense, and sure enough, he became one of the best players on the Indiana team that went to the Finals in the 1999-00 season.

If you look at all the former Kentucky Wildcats on the Knicks, that same logic can be applied. Julius Randle was rated the 2nd best player coming out of high school. The only reason he didn’t go higher than 7th in the 2014 draft was because of a foot injury. Kevin Knox was also one of the best players coming out of high school despite taking up the sport later in high school. He also had a solid rookie campaign for the Knicks which validated them taking him with the 9th pick in the 2018 draft. So it was alarming to see him lose his confidence and regress in his 2nd season.

Cat Rescue Center

As for the Knicks’ new acquisitions, Nerlens Noel, Immanuel Quickley and MKG, they all fit the same profile. The only difference is they are low cost acquisitions. Noel and MKG have had the luster knocked off of them and are looking to resurrect their careers. Quickley is a player that most had pegged as a 2nd round pick despite bouncing back from a rough freshman season to become SEC player of the year. You figure that Payne and the Knicks must know something about him that most don’t. Hopefully, there are facets to his game that weren’t displayed at Kentucky.

I heard a saying that success is 80% mental and 20% mechanical. If that’s true, then why not create an environment where players believe they have the best chance to succeed. The same environment that got some of the best high school players to reach the top of NBA draft boards. If the Knicks want to create a culture of winning, why not import one that is proven?