The New York Knicks are by and large getting praised for their body of work this offseason. One national outlet is here to pour cold water all over that optimism.
David Aldridge of The Athletic is ranking every team’s offseason relative to the moves they made, and the resources at their disposal. Though the Knicks have not done too much, they managed to deepen their rotation with limited flexibility, and without having to shake up the core. That’s apparently good enough for…15th place.
“If the Knicks hadn’t fired [Tom Thibodeau] after the franchise’s most successful season in a quarter-century, they’d be ranked higher,” Aldridge writes. “If the Knicks hadn’t brought in two quality vets in [Guerschon] Yabusele and [Jordan] Clarkson to improve their middling bench, they’d be ranked lower. [Mike] Brown isn’t materially different from Thibodeau defensively; the hope is he can make New York a little more diverse offensively—in a different voice.”
This is firm and fair analysis by Aldridge. And it cuts to the heart of an issue not being discussed enough.
The Knicks still face plenty of question marks
The Knicks could run nine players deep at first glance. Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mitchell Robinson, Josh Hart, Deuce McBride, Yabusele, and Clarkson are all rotation locks. This number could extend to 10 if they bring back the sharp-shooting Landry Shamet.
“Could” is the operative word here. So much of New York’s depth is hypothetical. Robinson is injury-prone. McBride’s offense can be wildly inconsistent. Clarkson is a defensive liability, and the Knicks’ pursuit of another guard shows they don’t trust him or Tyler Kolek to drive offense for others. Yaubsele is working off a fantastic season, and opens up all sorts of creative lineup combinations. He can also struggle on defense, and is just one season into his return from a half-decade NBA absence.
Even some of the Knicks’ most bankable elements are brimming with uncertainty. Towns’ defensive limitations could prompt them to start Robinson instead of Hart. We don’t have nearly enough data on that frontline combo to declare it a solution. Then again, the alternative might include running out the same starting five, which vacillated between “meh” and downright awful last season.
This says nothing of the clear roster voids New York must fill. If Clarkson or Kolek won’t be trusted to run the second unit, who will? And if Pacome Dadiet isn’t ready for minutes, who sponges up wing reps after Bridges, Anunoby, and Hart?
New York is a contender teeming with mystery
For as much as we know about these Knicks, there is also a lot we don’t know. That includes the extent to which head coach Mike Brown will be an upgrade from Tom Thibodeau.
New York is placing a lot on his shoulders. He needs to iron out the Brunson-Towns dynamic, inject way more variance into the offense, make sure the defense remains league average or better, and figure out a way to develop what little youth is on the roster—all without bumping the Knicks off their Finals-or-bust trajectory.
That’s a tall order for anyone. It's especially daunting when the team you’re taking charge of hasn’t added anyone more than an eighth and ninth man.
This isn’t meant to imply the Knicks had a terrible summer, or are somehow doomed. They didn’t, and they aren’t. Their offseason just can’t be considered a home run. Not yet. Not until we see their vision for this roster in action.