The New York Knicks could be in big trouble if Kristaps Porzingis is questioning the direction of the franchise.
The New York Knicks were a breath of fresh air at the beginning of the season. A new coach, new mentality, and youthful exuberance on the roster were all reasons for fans to be excited.
But 50 games later, the future doesn’t seem so bright. Concerned with the losing, franchise direction, and a lack of culture change, Kristaps Porzingis voiced his frustration with management on Thursday.
Reporting with @ZachLowe and @RamonaShelburne: In meeting with management today, Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis expressed his concern with the losing, franchise direction and an uncertainty that a culture is developing that will enable sustainable organizational success.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 31, 2019
Porzingis’ frustration should be very concerning for the front office. Porzingis is the player they are trying to build around for the future. He’s supposed to be the player who other stars like Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving want to play alongside. If he’s unhappy, it’s hard to see any major free agents willingly choose to sign with the Knicks.
Furthermore, the disastrous 2018-19 season seems to be a major concern for Porzingis. The plan was to come into the year with a young team that would compete on a nightly basis. No one expected the Knicks to win many games, but they have looked worse than anyone could have imagined.
Of course, under the old draft lottery system, the prospect of drafting Zion Williamson could soothe anxieties. Nonetheless, under current lottery odds, the Knicks only have a 14 percent of landing the top pick. Moreover, they have a near 50 percent chance of dropping to the fifth pick despite having the worst record in the league.
The 2018-19 season has not gone according to plan and it’s fair for Porzingis to voice his frustrations. The team is on an 11-game losing streak, only won a single game in January, and hasn’t won a game at Madison Square Garden in nearly two months.
The fans deserve better than what the front office and coaching staff are billing as “player development” and “growth.” Porzingis deserves better as well.
It’s up to management and the coaching staff to turn this season around and show some signs of life in the last few months of the year.
