NY Knicks: 5 ways the Knicks are mirroring the Miami Heat

Who first comes to mind when I mention the best-run organizations in the NBA?

Fans of the NY Knicks have long wished their franchise could crack this conversation. However, poor ownership has long precluded them.

Likely, teams like the San Antonio Spurs, the Miami Heat, and the Oklahoma City Thunder would crack most people’s top five.

Each of these clubs has earned a reputation for finding talent in the fringes, developing their players well, making smart trades that aid the franchise, developing top-tier game plans, and hiring brilliant coaches who are skilled at making critical in-game adjustments.

The NY Knicks are following the Miami Heat’s blueprint for success

While the Knicks are far away from these top teams in many ways, a new identity in 2021 helped New York close the gap.

For the first time in recent memory, the Knicks have a clear direction and strong leadership.

Interestingly enough, the Knicks’ approach to free agency has been nearly identical to one of these perennial powerhouses: The Miami Heat.

Nearly a year ago, I wrote a piece about why the Knicks would be wise to mirror the manner in which Miami built a surprise Eastern Conference championship roster.

Clearly, no one in the Heat or Knicks organization reads my work.

(Side note: Should Tom Thibodeau, Pat Riley or Eric Spolstera ever come across my work, feel free to hit me up. We’ll do lunch).

However, it does appear that New York is trending in a similar direction.

Here are five key ways New York and Miami have had similar free agency periods thus far.