Post by irish2u2 on Nov 23, 2020 10:40:37 GMT -5
There is no way this is the finished product but I feel confident the team is set for awhile with a big trade looming in the future. For me the first question is who that big trade might include but I’ll speculate a little later in this post.
First of all congrats to Leon Rose. By and large he made smart free agent choices while keeping salary and roster flexibility. The team still has a lot of room in their cap, assets to trade plus Leon managed to grow the Knicks draft picks by adding 3 second rounders and a very capable young backup PF in Omari Spellman for a guy who actually never played for the Knicks.
Indeed, we hardly knew you Ed Davis. 😎
Plus Rose didn’t panic in free agency and do what all other NY head honchos have done which is pay superstar rates for less than superstar talent. Gordon Heyward is a good player. Four years and 121 million good? Especially coming off that nasty leg injury? He looked decent last year but even at his best he was a very good player. Not great. Not 30 million a year great. The same is true for Davis Bertans only he was never even close to great. He’s a decent big with a good shooting touch. That touch isn’t anywhere near 85 million dollars and 4 years. To me 3 years at 12-13 seemed right. Rose stayed the course and worked the numbers. So far, and this could change, he has stayed away from superstar trades of questionable worth. Westbrook. Wall. Good on him. Turning a player who never actually suits up for you into 3 second round choices and a very serviceable backup big may not get headlines but it’s a master stroke of good team building and leadership.
If the NBA had a G League this year Myles Powell, Theo Pinson and Jared Harper would be on it. As such they are practice guys. Jacob Evans is likely gone. But for now he is on the roster. The rest of the 2020-21 New York Knickerbockers Roster.
Center
Mitchell Robinson
Nerlens Noel
Power Forward
Julius Randle
Omari Spellman
Small Forward
Kevin Knox
Hybrid Forward
Obi Toppin
Shooting Guard
RJ Barrett
Alec Burks
Theo Pinson
Jacob Evans
Combo Guard
Frank Ntilikina
Austin Rivers
Immanuel Quickley
Myles Powell
Swingman
Reggie Bullock
Point Guard
Elfrid Payton
Dennis Smith, Jr.
Jared Harper
I’d feel better if the Knicks could add another big for the rotation. Like Ed Davis.
Or Taj Gibson. Or an unsigned big who can play Center and Power Forward. Former Knicks Kyle O’Quinn and Noah Vonleh are still out there. So is Demarcus Cousins.
The Knicks brought back Elfrid Payton to play PG for them. While Rivers, Frank and maybe even Quickley can play some PG none is a full time NBA level PG. I imagine till he is traded Dennis Smith, Jr. Will get a lot of attention in the abridged training camp. The fact is the Knicks need a franchise PG. Do they wait till next year and take one in the draft? Do they trade assets for Russell Westbrook or John Wall? Are there any other PGs out there they can trade for that would fit the need for a lead playmaker?
I took a look around the various teams searching for candidates on teams that had excess PGs and high payrolls which especially becomes an issue in these challenging fiscal times with no fans in the arenas. Deals that might not be made are entirely possible now to save money and NY has the singular advantage of absorbing contracts to get what they want.
Let’s throw out Sacramento. They have 2 contracts they would love to jettison in Buddy Hield and Harrison Barnes but the only player they have that I want is Tyrese Halliburton and they are holding on to him even after signing De’aaron Fox to a huge extension. I really don’t want Hield or Barnes.
Nor do I want John Wall coming off almost 2 years off the court and with the NBA’s highest salary (or close to it). Wall is a Kentucky guy and apparently the Knicks are collecting Wildcats but no way, no how. Ditto for Russell Westbrook. Great player. Future HOFer. Always gives 100%. But like Wall he is on the wrong side of 30, has an obscenely large contract and Houston wants a mint for him.
If I was looking for a 30 year oldPG for the Knicks I’d look at Ricky Rubio. He makes 18 million a year but he’s signed through one more year after this season and he’s a defensive demon which Thibodeau will love. We have already dismissed Terry Rozier as a possibility and while Cleveland has a plethora of young PGs they are all shoot first guys and I don’t want Kevin Love.
That leaves New Orleans. They drafted a guy I really liked in Kira Lewis. They have Eric Bledsoe and they just took on Steven Adam’s huge deal AND they have to re-sign Brandon Ingram. Lonzo Ball makes 11 million and we have 2 guards who make half that who can play for the Pelicans in Payton and DSJ.
Ball is a fit. He’s sill young at just 22 and improving his shooting which is really the only weakness in his game. He’s a great playmaker and defender and would be a huge favorite in the Garden. PG problem solved.
Ball with our young core of Robinson, RJ, Randle, Knox, Toppin, Quickley plus future picks and selected vets accelerates the Knicks playoff chances. Maybe dramatically depending on the following factors.
Adding Ball allows Randle to go back to what he does best. Like all the Knicks he will get more and better scoring opportunities and he won’t have to be something he isn’t which namely is a stretch Point Forward.
I have to hope both Mitch and RJ improve in their second years in the league. That is generally where you see the most growth. RJ needs to improve his shooting. Robinson needs to stay on the court.
Particularly important to the Knicks is what they can get out of Kevin Knox going into his third year. John Caliparri, the New Godfather of the Knicks, has said be patient. We have been. Now we as fans want to see star performance out of Knox.
I’d love to see Toppin, a 22 year old rookie, burst on to the scene much like Ja and Zion did last year. Toppin has the skills and he is much more advanced offensively than Knox. I’d love to see Barrett move towards star like performance. He has all the ability in the world, a great approach to the game, he works hard and he’s a great athlete. He just has to add and refine skills.
Even with an established PG the Knicks are likely a year away from the playoffs but in the COVID Era who knows? I like their depth. I am cautiously optimistic about their talent. I love what Leon Rose has done so far and I think Thibodeau is going to love some of these guys especially Mitch, Nerlens, Frank and Ball if we can get him. Thibodeau will improve the defensive performance of the Knicks. That is what he does. He does like vets but he has also been effective with youngsters too.
Last year it was Randle and whoever decided to step up after Marcus Morris left when it comes to scoring. The Knicks need reliable scoring and they need Julius to be the second or even third scoring option. I like the chances of RJ and Obi being those prime scoring options. Even though Lonzo Ball is not a great scorer he gets his teammates easy baskets and great looks. That works too and he is improving on the offensive end. His jumper even looks almost normal.
New York has set itself up to make a dramatic leap forward via a trade. They don’t look to be doing what the Knicks have always done in getting an aged or troubled star player and maybe COVID has something to do with that because after all the Knicks don’t have to worry about putting fans in MSG seats. Rose has showed considerable deftness and acumen so far in his dealing. The big test is his first real trade. I think he’s done great in the draft, great in not over spending in free agency and acquiring assets that have value but the biggest test of all is who is the star level player he puts in Orange and Blue.
I think the Knicks have the best chance with Ball but maybe Rose has his sights on some other player.We shall see but in the meantime this Knicks team as currently constructed may have more than a few flaws and will not make the playoffs but they can be fun to watch. That’s good enough for me for now.
First of all congrats to Leon Rose. By and large he made smart free agent choices while keeping salary and roster flexibility. The team still has a lot of room in their cap, assets to trade plus Leon managed to grow the Knicks draft picks by adding 3 second rounders and a very capable young backup PF in Omari Spellman for a guy who actually never played for the Knicks.
Indeed, we hardly knew you Ed Davis. 😎
Plus Rose didn’t panic in free agency and do what all other NY head honchos have done which is pay superstar rates for less than superstar talent. Gordon Heyward is a good player. Four years and 121 million good? Especially coming off that nasty leg injury? He looked decent last year but even at his best he was a very good player. Not great. Not 30 million a year great. The same is true for Davis Bertans only he was never even close to great. He’s a decent big with a good shooting touch. That touch isn’t anywhere near 85 million dollars and 4 years. To me 3 years at 12-13 seemed right. Rose stayed the course and worked the numbers. So far, and this could change, he has stayed away from superstar trades of questionable worth. Westbrook. Wall. Good on him. Turning a player who never actually suits up for you into 3 second round choices and a very serviceable backup big may not get headlines but it’s a master stroke of good team building and leadership.
If the NBA had a G League this year Myles Powell, Theo Pinson and Jared Harper would be on it. As such they are practice guys. Jacob Evans is likely gone. But for now he is on the roster. The rest of the 2020-21 New York Knickerbockers Roster.
Center
Mitchell Robinson
Nerlens Noel
Power Forward
Julius Randle
Omari Spellman
Small Forward
Kevin Knox
Hybrid Forward
Obi Toppin
Shooting Guard
RJ Barrett
Alec Burks
Theo Pinson
Jacob Evans
Combo Guard
Frank Ntilikina
Austin Rivers
Immanuel Quickley
Myles Powell
Swingman
Reggie Bullock
Point Guard
Elfrid Payton
Dennis Smith, Jr.
Jared Harper
I’d feel better if the Knicks could add another big for the rotation. Like Ed Davis.
Or Taj Gibson. Or an unsigned big who can play Center and Power Forward. Former Knicks Kyle O’Quinn and Noah Vonleh are still out there. So is Demarcus Cousins. The Knicks brought back Elfrid Payton to play PG for them. While Rivers, Frank and maybe even Quickley can play some PG none is a full time NBA level PG. I imagine till he is traded Dennis Smith, Jr. Will get a lot of attention in the abridged training camp. The fact is the Knicks need a franchise PG. Do they wait till next year and take one in the draft? Do they trade assets for Russell Westbrook or John Wall? Are there any other PGs out there they can trade for that would fit the need for a lead playmaker?
I took a look around the various teams searching for candidates on teams that had excess PGs and high payrolls which especially becomes an issue in these challenging fiscal times with no fans in the arenas. Deals that might not be made are entirely possible now to save money and NY has the singular advantage of absorbing contracts to get what they want.
Let’s throw out Sacramento. They have 2 contracts they would love to jettison in Buddy Hield and Harrison Barnes but the only player they have that I want is Tyrese Halliburton and they are holding on to him even after signing De’aaron Fox to a huge extension. I really don’t want Hield or Barnes.
Nor do I want John Wall coming off almost 2 years off the court and with the NBA’s highest salary (or close to it). Wall is a Kentucky guy and apparently the Knicks are collecting Wildcats but no way, no how. Ditto for Russell Westbrook. Great player. Future HOFer. Always gives 100%. But like Wall he is on the wrong side of 30, has an obscenely large contract and Houston wants a mint for him.
If I was looking for a 30 year oldPG for the Knicks I’d look at Ricky Rubio. He makes 18 million a year but he’s signed through one more year after this season and he’s a defensive demon which Thibodeau will love. We have already dismissed Terry Rozier as a possibility and while Cleveland has a plethora of young PGs they are all shoot first guys and I don’t want Kevin Love.
That leaves New Orleans. They drafted a guy I really liked in Kira Lewis. They have Eric Bledsoe and they just took on Steven Adam’s huge deal AND they have to re-sign Brandon Ingram. Lonzo Ball makes 11 million and we have 2 guards who make half that who can play for the Pelicans in Payton and DSJ.
Ball is a fit. He’s sill young at just 22 and improving his shooting which is really the only weakness in his game. He’s a great playmaker and defender and would be a huge favorite in the Garden. PG problem solved.
Ball with our young core of Robinson, RJ, Randle, Knox, Toppin, Quickley plus future picks and selected vets accelerates the Knicks playoff chances. Maybe dramatically depending on the following factors.
Adding Ball allows Randle to go back to what he does best. Like all the Knicks he will get more and better scoring opportunities and he won’t have to be something he isn’t which namely is a stretch Point Forward.
I have to hope both Mitch and RJ improve in their second years in the league. That is generally where you see the most growth. RJ needs to improve his shooting. Robinson needs to stay on the court.
Particularly important to the Knicks is what they can get out of Kevin Knox going into his third year. John Caliparri, the New Godfather of the Knicks, has said be patient. We have been. Now we as fans want to see star performance out of Knox.
I’d love to see Toppin, a 22 year old rookie, burst on to the scene much like Ja and Zion did last year. Toppin has the skills and he is much more advanced offensively than Knox. I’d love to see Barrett move towards star like performance. He has all the ability in the world, a great approach to the game, he works hard and he’s a great athlete. He just has to add and refine skills.
Even with an established PG the Knicks are likely a year away from the playoffs but in the COVID Era who knows? I like their depth. I am cautiously optimistic about their talent. I love what Leon Rose has done so far and I think Thibodeau is going to love some of these guys especially Mitch, Nerlens, Frank and Ball if we can get him. Thibodeau will improve the defensive performance of the Knicks. That is what he does. He does like vets but he has also been effective with youngsters too.
Last year it was Randle and whoever decided to step up after Marcus Morris left when it comes to scoring. The Knicks need reliable scoring and they need Julius to be the second or even third scoring option. I like the chances of RJ and Obi being those prime scoring options. Even though Lonzo Ball is not a great scorer he gets his teammates easy baskets and great looks. That works too and he is improving on the offensive end. His jumper even looks almost normal.
New York has set itself up to make a dramatic leap forward via a trade. They don’t look to be doing what the Knicks have always done in getting an aged or troubled star player and maybe COVID has something to do with that because after all the Knicks don’t have to worry about putting fans in MSG seats. Rose has showed considerable deftness and acumen so far in his dealing. The big test is his first real trade. I think he’s done great in the draft, great in not over spending in free agency and acquiring assets that have value but the biggest test of all is who is the star level player he puts in Orange and Blue.
I think the Knicks have the best chance with Ball but maybe Rose has his sights on some other player.We shall see but in the meantime this Knicks team as currently constructed may have more than a few flaws and will not make the playoffs but they can be fun to watch. That’s good enough for me for now.
