8 Role players from the New York Knicks era devoid of star power

It’s wild to think precisely 10 years ago, New York Knicks fans were wondering if the squad led by Carmelo Anthony could take that step forward to the Eastern Conference Finals the following season.

Ten years before, the Knicks saw their best 2000s Stephon Marbury-led team swept in the first round by Vince Carter’s New Jersey Nets.

With all that losing, it’s no surprise that New Yorkers love role players. During the tougher times, the role players were often the players the average fan had to relate to.

The following breaks down the best Knicks role players during the “in-between” Kristaps Porzingis rebuild era. Remember, no one knew the Unicorn’s ceiling then, and Knicks Nation was eagerly awaiting a Robin to KP’s Batman.

8 role players from the New York Knicks era devoid of star power

1: Allonzo Trier

Allonzo Trier, a combo guard, went undrafted in 2018 and became a fan favorite later that year. His second and last season with the Knicks (and in the NBA) was far less exciting, but in just 23 minutes per game, he gave fans 11 points per game next to a budding superstar, or so we thought, in Kristaps Porzingis.

Trier could run the floor; he was explosive, versatile, and hit tough threes. Sadly, back then, his ties to Kevin Durant from Oklahoma, where he played in high school, was valuable conjecture to Knicks brass until it wasn’t. Trier was cut for Theo Pinson.