NY Knicks: Team’s chemistry could be big factor in attracting stars

The ascension of the NY Knicks has been one of the major stories of the 2020-21 NBA season. In a wonky 72-game season that started during the holiday season, the Knicks have steered the ship in a positive direction.

The bar was low to begin with. The bar for the NY Knicks has always been “competence”. That’s what makes this season’s transformation all the more inconceivable. New York has started from the lowest possible organizational reputation and not only reached the “competence” bar but they’ve shattered it.

This organization – from the players to the front office is gaining a reputation of hard workers, smart decision-makers, and dedicated winners. It’s starting to capture the attention of the league.

NY Knicks: Team chemistry and connections could attract star players

SNY’s NBA insider Ian Begley recently wrote about the perception of the Knicks from current and former front office executives and agents. The impression was that left: The sleeping giant that is the New York Knicks is not just stirring out of bed, it’s wide awake.

The speed at which the transformation happened is remarkable. A new coaching staff in a shortened offseason during a global pandemic, yet it feels like this team has been playing together for years.

It’s a testament to the trust that the players not only have in each other but in their coaches and front office. Randle, Thibodeau, and Barrett may get all of the headlines, but this level of Chemistry goes from the top to the bottom. It goes from Theo Pinson dancing on the bench to William Wesley traveling to every road game.

That all-encompassing level of bond is not something you see very often. New York has always had the allure of playing in the biggest basketball market on earth, but that allure has faded over the years. Players can thrive on small-market teams that prioritize organizations where they feel they’re being taken care of and can have sustained success in their careers.

Prior to this year, the NY Knicks were not just losing games, they were a revolving door of coaches and players. They were a place where veterans could go for a year if they wanted to inflate their stats and get a nice next contract.

Now, you can be a part of the most exciting upstart team in the NBA.

This team is made up of young players, players in their primes, and aging veterans. The false narrative of Thibodeau being someone who players don’t want to play for has hopefully gotten the final nail in the coffin. These guys love going hard for their coach. It’s an infectious energy that the league’s hardest-working players would thrive in.

They’ve created a winning environment. More importantly, they’ve created a winning environment in New York City.

New York basketball is starting to get its allure back, and Julius Randle has emphasized this to the younger players. If Madison Square Garden was at full capacity, I’m sure the roof would have been blown off at some point during the team’s 9-game April win streak.

The NBA landscape changes frequently. Free agency, rebuilds, damaged relationships, these are things we can’t foresee, yet are inevitable. The NY Knicks are now more than just a place where you can go to play for a passionate fan base in an enormous city, it’s a place where you can go to win.