Knicks shouldn’t be concerned about Nets’ recent failures
The New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets – the first team didn’t make the playoffs and the second was the victim of a first-round sweep. Because Brooklyn was a disappointment in the postseason, there’s been comparisons drawn between the two franchises.
Let’s be clear, both teams had underwhelming seasons for various differing reasons. The Nets were the preseason title favorites and the Knicks were aiming to make it to the playoffs for the second-consecutive year.
Both teams are alike in the fact that they’re watching the postseason from home, but other than that, they’re on completely different paths.
Brooklyn signed stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in the summer of 2019 and proceeded to construct a roster around the two of them. That same summer, New York drafted RJ Barrett with the No. 3 overall pick.
The New York Knicks have a different blueprint than the Brooklyn Nets.
If Irving signs an extension, he and Durant are going to continue to be the two best players on the Nets’ roster. Meanwhile, Barrett’s developed into the face of the Knicks’ franchise, so 2019 was vital for both teams.
Leon Rose recently wrapped up his second year as New York’s president and this offseason, the team’s priority should be to build around Barrett. That includes the team’s 2022 draft pick and the Knicks locked in the 11th-best lottery odds.
New York has a young core that it can build around, while Brooklyn needs to once again figure out what players work best alongside KD and Irving. The past two years for the Nets have been viewed as a waste solely because they didn’t win their first NBA title. It’s do-or-die.
If the Knicks made it past the first round of the playoffs in 2022-23, fans would be more than jubilant. Or even if the team made it to the postseason in general, but Brooklyn’s held to a higher standard because of the team that it’s pieced together.
New York’s worked to build and grow its roster, which has been supplemented by lottery picks in years past. The Knicks might not be a talent destination for free-agent stars, but the front office has done well at seeking out talented young players in recent drafts.
This likely won’t be the case but New York could put out a starting lineup made up of Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, and Jericho Sims. Those five players are draft picks from 2019 onwards.
Sean Marks and the Nets have had success at drafting too (it’ll be hard to forget what Cam Thomas did in MSG this past year), but their future isn’t dictated by their draft success. But instead by who they can lure to Brooklyn to team up with Durant and Irving.
Rose and company still need to make carefully executed moves, but the two team’s situations are drastically different. And unless the Knicks become a superstar destination in the near future (we’ve all heard that one before), New York shouldn’t be weary about Brooklyn’s inability to succeed in its goal of winning a ring.
