As the season approaches, New York Knicks’ fans will be focused on topics, both on and off the court. Here are the top five storylines for the 2018-19 season.
After writing part one of my top New York Knicks’ storylines series, I realized that with few exceptions, stories ten through six were mostly focused on the nuts and bolts regarding how the team will play.
Whether it be position battles and/or individual performances, fans will certainly be alert as to how coach David Fizdale maximizes a roster with players who have something to prove.
Yet as we move on to stories five through one, there’s a clear focus on the future. With a franchise at a major crossroads, what will this team look like next season, or even in the next two to three years?
Here are the Knicks’ top five storylines for the 2018-19 season:
5. Trading Places
The Knicks will start this season with several players on the trading block. During the summer, Courtney Lee was and will continue to be a name tossed around in trade rumors. Others include Lance Thomas, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Enes Kanter.
Reportedly, Lee is enjoying his time in New York and would still like to play for the Knicks, provided that he has a contributing role for the squad. Lee’s the prototypical “three and D” type of player that fits on any roster. Contending teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets could always use more players like Lee, but the issue has always been what the Knicks will receive in return.
The Knicks would like a first round pick for a player like Lee or at the very least a prospect that may just need a change of scenery, but it doesn’t look like that will happen. Lee will most likely be a Knick until another team gets desperate at the trading deadline. General manager Scott Perry would be wise to remain patient and wait until the Knicks have more leverage in this situation.
Thomas, one of the captains from last season, is also likely to hear his name involved in trade rumors. A player that does all the dirty work, and shot a respectable 40 percent from the three-point line last year will be in demand. Additionally, per Spotrac Thomas makes a franchise-friendly $7,119,650 which can be easily moved if necessary.
Hardaway Jr. and Kanter are also potential trade targets, but for very different reasons. Despite being relatively young and on the rise, it’s not likely that Hardaway Jr. will be moved to a contending team because of the size of his contract. Yet, if a team with cap space in future years looking to take on salary (cough, cough, Sacramento Kings), and a chance on a young wing comes around, Shimmy might just be on the move.
Kanter presents a different scenario. He’s on an expiring contract and one of the Knicks’ most efficient scorers. Kanter posted a career-high in effective field goal percentage, and was ranked top five in the NBA in both offensive rebounding and contested offensive rebounds. Even in a reserve role, Kanter could be very effective for a team looking for a low-post scorer if he’s given 15-20 minutes per game.
NEXT: Do It For The Culture
4. The Culture
Since his introductory press conference, coach Fizdale has spoken extensively about the importance of building a strong culture within his team. And while most of his public appearances leave people impressed and wanting more, what will the signs of this culture look like in year one? How will the fan know that the Knicks are building their identity?
Shortly after his firing from the Memphis Grizzlies, James Herbert of cbssports.com wrote a piece about Fiz’s impact on the Grizzlies’ players. Reportedly, Fizdale would frequently arrange visits from other people to speak with the team about mindset and communication. Players were asked to really think about the game outside of X’s and O’s.
Additionally, on the defensive end, it’s clear that Fiz will want his players to be aggressive and take the game to their opponents. Mike Conley was routinely asked to pick up his man full-court or as soon as he passed mid-court.
If anything, mindset and toughness will be one of the most visible indicators that there has been a culture shift within the Knicks. Over the last few seasons, Knicks fans have become acutely aware of when their team is about to give up a lead or when they’re about to give up in general. Fans will know, despite the record, despite the score, if the players are playing hard or not.
If you’re asking yourself, what comes first, the culture, or success, my answer is the culture. Despite the fact that wins will be hard to come by for the Knicks, no one should give them excuses for not playing hard or not playing together. Other franchises, in rebuilding situations, have been praised by members of the NBA community for playing hard despite the circumstances.
If coaches like Doc Rivers and Gregg Popovich saw the culture change for teams like the Brooklyn Nets, there’s no reason that Fiz can’t do this for the Knicks.
NEXT: The Player Development
3. Player Development
The Knicks enter the 2018-2019 season with several young exciting players. Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson, Frank Ntilikina and Hardaway Jr. are, at least for now, seen as part of the core of this team moving forward.
With that said, a large responsibility will be placed on coach Fizdale to get the most of out of these players and to foster their growth from day one. At Kentucky, Knox was barely used in the pick-and-roll. Jackson Hoy of the Stepien writes that Knox was mainly used as a wing to spread the floor. In fact, he only recorded four field goal attempts off pick-and-pop possessions. Additionally, he was only utilized as the roll man out of the pick-and-roll five times during his freshman year.
Coach Fizdale is big on not putting his players in a box, so expect him to use Knox on all areas of the floor as a shooter and play-maker. ESNY’s Danny Small wrote a piece regarding the Utah uphill handoff and how Knox would be a perfect fit. Knowing Fiz as a student of the game, he’ll be using many different sets to highlight the talents of this six-foot-nine stud.
Robinson is also a player that will receive a lot of attention this season. After a stellar summer league, fans felt like the Knicks found their version of Rudy Gobert or even Clint Capela.
Back in August, I wrote a piece about Robinson’s potential as a starter for the Knicks this season. Despite the fact that he needs to spend a good amount of time in the G-league, with Porzingis out, and the Knicks looking like they’ll lose plenty of games this season, Robinson should see a good amount of time at the center position.
Additionally, coach Fizdale would be wise to let Robinson show all aspects of his game as the seven-foot-one athletic freak has been working on his three-point shot all summer. With most of his summer league possessions coming off double picks and slashes to the hoop, Robinson needs to be in a position to see the NBA game and get used to many different types of scenarios on the court.
Both Ntilikina and Hardaway Jr. are also at crossroads during their young Knick careers. A good argument can be made for giving the Ntilikina the keys to the offense. A stout defender and a lottery pick, the Knicks brass need to see if Ntilikina, in his second NBA season, has what it takes to be a starting point guard. Among many areas where the young Frenchman can improve, Ntilikina needs to be more aggressive on offense and become a reliable three-point shooter.
Hardaway Jr. will also be looking to improve on a career year. The two areas he will most likely focus on will be defense and shot selection. Despite missing 25 games through injury and going through a miserable shooting slump, Shimmy had a relatively good season. No doubt Hardaway Jr. will also benefit from moving back to his natural shooting guard position, not having to guard bigger and more physical small forwards.
NEXT: What Are The Odds?
2. The Draft Pick
Another season and another year of looking forward to the lottery. While this may not be the case, the writing seems to be on the wall with Kristaps Porzingis out for most of the year. Regardless, fans will be forecasting the Knicks’ next young prospect all season long whether the team is making a playoff push or not.
Taking a look at last year’s teams in the lottery only fuels speculation that the Knicks may receive a top pick. Within the top ten picks, a strong case can be made that Memphis, Dallas, Orlando, and Chicago will all have better records than last season. As a result, the Knicks may be able to sneak into the top five of the lottery.
Looking forward, Knicks fans will get used to hearing names like Romeo Langford, Cam Reddish, Luka Samanic, and Zion Williamson.
Langford was selected by the Knicks and featured in one of Bleacher Report’s mock drafts. Langford, who will be playing his college ball at Indiana, is a six-foot-six shooting guard with a quick release, good shooting stroke, and capable of breaking down the defense off the dribble. Both Reddish and Williamson are Duke Blue Devils and have already impressed scouts in the preseason. Williamson posted a freakish stat line of 36 points and 13 rebounds against McGill. In the same game, Reddish poured in 20 points and added 10 assists.
Samanic, a six-foot-eleven power forward from Croatia, has slipped a bit in mock drafts but there is no doubt about this prospects shooting. Per Mike Schmitz of DraftExpress, Samanic has good footwork for his size and is an underrated passer. The 19-year old also showed an improved ability in defending opposing players on the perimeter. On the flipside, Samanic does not have much strength in his lower body and his demeanor on the court was, at times, described as “apathetic”.
NEXT: Summertime Madness
1. Free-Agency
You’ve heard it all summer. Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, Jimmy Butler, and Kawhi Leonard may all be free-agents during the summer of 2019, and according to multiple sources, the Knicks will be in play.
It started with Zach Lowe of ESPN. Back in early July, Lowe, on his podcast “The Lowe Post,” made a claim that the Knicks were planning their offseason around Durant. To add fuel to the fire, Knicks fans had a collective Cheshire cat grin on their faces after Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN made the following statement on The Woj Pod,
“I think the Knicks will get somebody next year. I think the Knicks have put themselves in a position … I think they get a real player, I don’t know which one it is, but I think they are in position to potentially get a guy.”
And if the Woj Pod was fuel to the fire, A. Sherrod Blakely of NBA Sports Boston doused the fire with propane when he dropped this gem on the Bulls Talk Podcast,
“I’ve spoken with people within that organization,” Blakely continued. “They have made it absolutely crystal clear to me that, if they had their pick of guys that are going to be in the free agent market (next) summer, Kyrie would be the first, second, third and fourth choice.”
Do you believe where there’s smoke there’s fire? Or is this just NBA summer nonsense? There’s probably more legs to these rumors than we believe. Combine this with the fact that the Jimmy Butler may be looking for a way out of the Minnesota Timberwolves, who coincidently might be one of the NBA’s most dysfunctional teams this season, and you have a recipe for drama all season long.
Overall, if Coach Fizdale makes good on his promise to instill a team identity and build a winning culture, then free-agents will be enticed to see the big apple as a realistic destination. Fiz has a good enough reputation and the Knicks brass has been quietly making good organizational decisions which have impressed other front offices and agents around the league.
Players like Porzingis, Knox, Ntilikina, and a potential top-five lottery pick may also be enough to lure a top-tier free-agent to come to New York and help bring home the franchise’s third NBA championship. But in the meantime, fans will be consumed by these storylines and more as the Knicks enter a critical point in their return to relevancy. If history repeats itself, then the Knicks will take the easy way out and settle for a short-term fix. But give Mills and Perry credit, they haven’t caved in yet, and for the sake of the fans and the franchise, let’s hope they don’t.