It’s time to acknowledge the quality in the Knicks’ front office moves
By Kramer Smith
The pieces of the blueprint
The summer league has proven to showcase the talents of Quentin Grimes, Jericho Sims, and Miles McBride in the preliminary games of the tournament. All have been spectacular in their own regards, and have made cases to be a part of New York’s future.
These three aren’t the climax of the Knicks’ young talent, though. Over the past couple seasons, the team has landed talent in both rounds of the draft and continues to develop them into pieces of the rotation.
Mitchell Robinson made history recently, becoming the first New York draft pick to sign an extension since Charlie Ward. RJ Barrett expects to join him soon, becoming the first Knicks lottery pick to sign an extension in decades.
It has been all too long since New York has had solidified young talent on the roster and zero disgruntled stars looking for a way out.
Joined by Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley, and hopefully Cam Reddish, the team has arguably one of the most impressive rooms of youth in the entire association.
The change in the New York Knicks’ culture
Despite failing to meet their objective, the Knicks never backed down last season. The team has committed to a head coach and a front office, and continues to work towards winning. Many wanted the franchise to commit to a tank last season, but that is not how you build success.
We saw this with Kristaps Porzingis, as the Latvian prodigy quickly got disgruntled with the franchise as they continued to change head coaches and not piece together any form of development.
On top of this, the team scapegoated Melo and forced a trade that was very undesirable for their franchise player.
What this administration is proving is patience. They are not scapegoating Julius Randle out of New York. They are not trading their young players and picks for another fallen star.
They are fighting to win games. They are trusting their draft picks and the players on their roster. They are actively retooling and getting the guys they want.
It could be argued that never before in history have the Knicks had such an overwhelming plethora of talent on their roster, and this is a massive bode to the patience and strategy of a savvy front office.
Patience constructs success. We have seen this proven in professional sports many times. Fans should have more trust and faith in their front office, as they are proving to have broken many bad habits that have cursed the Knicks for years.
Trust the process, and get ready to watch one of the league’s most exciting young teams in 2022-23.
