With the first month of the 2022-23 season in the rearview mirror, the New York Knicks sit at 9-10. For the most part, the Knicks have performed as expected after not making a major trade over the summer.
New York did make an upgrade at point guard though after signing Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $104 million deal. Not only has it been pleasant to watch a Knicks team with an actual point guard, but Brunson’s off to a solid start.
However, even though it was known that New York would be headed toward another mediocre finish in the standings, the Knicks still have quite a few worrisome issues that could’ve been better addressed during the offseason. Those issues have run over into the start of the season and are continuing to plague New York.
3 offseason regrets Knicks have after first month of 2022-23 season
3: Not trading Evan Fournier or Derrick Rose
Over the summer, Knicks fans were hoping to see veterans such as Julius Randle and Evan Fournier traded. Instead, both Randle and Fournier entered the season in the starting lineup, but that’s since changed.
Fournier was removed from the starting lineup ahead of the Nov. 4 win over the Sixers. Since then, he’s played a total of 89 minutes and has racked up six straight DNPs. Fournier is averaging a career-low 6.9 points and is shooting a career-low 33.3% from the three-point line. Last season, he broke John Starks’ single-season record for made three-pointers, but his inconsistency on the offensive end was one of New York’s biggest problems before he was removed from the rotation. Now, the Knicks are tasked with finding a trade partner for Fournier, which will be easier said than done due to his contract and drop in production.
Similar to Fournier, Derrick Rose is averaging only 6.8 points and a near career-low of 13.2 minutes per game. Rose is another piece of New York’s logjam at guard that has held back younger players like Immanuel Quickley and Miles McBride.
Because the Knicks didn’t trade Fournier over the summer, the front office will have to work harder to locate a trade partner and agree on a deal that works for both sides. Dealing Rose will be easier than finding a trade partner for Fournier, but New York needs to trade both ahead of the deadline.
2: Retaining Tom Thibodeau
Following the Knicks’ disappointing 2021-22 season, it was rumored that the organization was going to move on from Tom Thibodeau. However, in a pre-taped interview that aired ahead of New York’s final regular season game on Apr. 10, Leon Rose voiced his support for the head coach.
With 19 games played thus far, it’s become even more painfully clear that Thibodeau isn’t the right coach for this young team. It’s a miracle that he finally decided to bench Fournier, which is something that he deserves credit for doing. But outside of that, the benefits of no longer having Thibodeau as head coach far outweighs the benefits of keeping him around for the entirety of the season.
Thibodeau has continued to keep Obi Toppin on a short leash, even though the forward has proven time and time again that he deserves more minutes. The illness that RJ Barrett recently dealt with doesn’t excuse how poorly he’s played to start the year, but on New York’s recent five-game road trip, Thibodeau opted to keep Barrett on the floor. The Knicks’ defense has been an issue all season, yet Thibs has made zero adjustments. Meanwhile, it physically hurts to watch New York on offense.
Thibodeau can’t be blamed for the moves that the Knicks failed to make over the summer, but the examples above are just a few instances of why he should no longer be the leader of this team.
New York was at risk of losing Johnnie Bryant over the summer to Utah and with the 37-year-old still in search of his first head coaching gig, he could —and should — remain with the Knicks. It’s time to pass the reins to Bryant.
1: Not trading for Donovan Mitchell
After the Jazz fell to Jalen Brunson and the Mavericks in the playoffs last season, the Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert trade rumors were in full force. Utah traded Gobert to Minnesota on the first of July, and that’s when the Mitchell-Knicks saga began.
Over the next two months, New York’s front office went back and forth with Danny Ainge and Utah. Talks stalled over that period before the Knicks ultimately proceeded to extend RJ Barrett, who was part of the trade talks. Shortly thereafter, the Jazz sent Mitchell to the Cavaliers in a shocking move that included a third unprotected first-round pick that New York was hesitant to part with.
Through 16 games in Cleveland, Mitchell is averaging a career-high 30.1 points and is shooting a career-high 50.5% from the floor and 42.3% from three. Even after recently losing five-straight games, the Cavaliers still sit at No. 3 in the Eastern Conference with a 12-7 record.
As for the Knicks, they sit towards the bottom half of the conference and will be lucky to be fighting for a play-in spot at the end of the season. That wouldn’t be something that New York would’ve had to worry about if the front office would’ve decided to go all in on Mitchell.
Now, the Knicks are left waiting for the next disgruntled star to become available via trade. If the right fit becomes available, the front office should be less hesitant this time around. Although Ainge’s demands were high, to be successful as a team in the NBA, having a star is a requirement.
Grading key Knicks players after start to 2022-23 season
With the Knicks having gone through their first 18 games this season, we are starting to get a better view of how well certain players are performing.