NY Knicks: 3 players that shouldn’t be on the 2022-23 roster
1: Nerlens Noel
If there was one player that fans had to choose to not be on the Knicks next year, it’d most likely be Nerlens Noel. He signed a three-year, $27.7 million contract with New York last summer after being part of the team’s playoff run.
In 2020-21, the center averaged 6.4 rebounds and 5.1 points in 64 games, which included 41 starts. This season, Noel’s averaging 5.6 rebounds and 3.4 points in the 25 contests that he’s played in (11 starts).
That’ll most likely be his statistics to finish out 2021-22, given that he’s been sidelined with plantar fasciitis and hasn’t played since Feb. 7.
It’s a shame that he’ll only have played in 30% of the Knicks’ 82 regular-season games. If Noel wouldn’t have gotten injured, he’d still be playing behind Mitchell Robinson as part of the second unit.
Instead, rookie Jericho Sims has gotten to assume that duty, which is beneficial considering that Robinson could walk during the offseason.
Even if the Knicks and Robinson don’t agree to a contract extension, the team will sign a center in free agency.
I’d argue that while Noel has more experience than Sims, the 2021 second-round draft pick has proven that he can be the No. 2 option at center. Not to mention, Sims has the opportunity to improve during the offseason, but Noel will be more limited due to his injury.
It’s a no-brainer for New York to get rid of Noel this summer, even if the Knicks don’t re-sign their starting center. Noel has more value as a backup on a team that’s already a contender, not a team that’s looking to grow and develop into one. He simply doesn’t fit the direction that the organization is headed in.
