A deep dive on 3 culture-shifting New York Knicks front office hires.
Building a winning culture is by no means an easy feat for any NBA organization, especially considering how player dominant the league has become. Roster construction has taken a very evident backseat to just pairing 2 or 3 superstars on the same team and surrounding them with a bunch of complementary role-players. Dirk Nowitzki and the 2011 Dallas Mavericks might be the last team we’ll ever see built on personnel chemistry and one superstar talent.
Considering how no All-star caliber players are willing to come to the New York Knicks until they prove that they’re focused on becoming a consistent and winning organization, it seems like the New York’s new front office will be forced to take the small market approach by building a contender through the draft and savvy free agency signings.
If the Knicks want to model themselves after the 2015 Golden State Warriors (the last team to make it to the promised land using this method), it needs to begin from the top down. I believe more homegrown talent will come in due time in players similar to Obi Toppin and RJ Barrett, but in order to continue this trend, New York needs to allow the unsung heroes of the organization to work their magic.
While new head coaches and team presidents tend to steal the headlines, it’s guys like scouts, assistant coaches, and assistant GMs who help turn laughingstocks into winners.
Here’s a deep dive on 3 front office acquisitions the Knicks have made that will help shape the composition of this team for the next decade.