The outcome of this season is going to be determined by the All-NBA duo of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, as well as the supporting cast of Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Mitchell Robinson, and Deuce McBride. However, their young core of Tyler Kolek, Ariel Hukporti, Pacome Dadiet, and Kevin McCullar Jr., who the Knicks hope can develop into valuable contributors, got a huge boost as the Knicks hired Riccardo Fois to the coaching staff.
Fois, who was an assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings, has a reputation for developing players and could be the key to unlocking some of the Knicks' youngsters.
Outside of coaching in Sacramento, Fois has also coached at the University of Arizona as well as the Phoenix Suns, where he coached Bridges, who credits him for helping him become the player that he is today.
Back when Fois was hired by the University of Arizona, Bridges said he "helped me a lot with developing my game and never letting me get too comfortable." Other high-impact players, like Domantas Sabonis, also credit Fois for playing a key role in shaping their game.
The Knicks are hoping he can have a similar impact on their young core
Now the Knicks are hoping that Fois can play a similar role in shaping the games of some of the younger players on their roster. As I stated above, it is unlikely any of them play a major role this year. That said, the Knicks' roster is expensive, and if they plan to compete for multiple years, they will need some of their draft picks to pan out.
The NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder is a prime example of how important it is to hit on draft picks, specifically second-rounders and undrafted players in today's game. Multiple contributors on their team, like Aaron Wiggins, Luguentz Dort, Jaylin Williams, and Isaiah Joe, were taken in the second round, or, in Dort's case, not drafted at all.
Things haven't gone as planned in summer league
Fred Katz of The Athletic reported that Fois is already with the team, helping out the staff in Vegas for the summer league. The Knicks have gotten off to an 0-2 start, and many of their younger players, notably second-year guard Tyler Kolek, have struggled greatly so far.
Time will tell what sort of impact Fois has on the Knicks' young players, but if history is any indication, he will have a positive one.