The Final Piece To The NY Knicks Rebuild

The Final Piece To The Knicks 20-Year Rebuild

Written By Kyle Crabbe

Follow on Twitter: @KthetruestKnick

As the 2017-18 NBA Season gets into the second half and toward the playoffs, New York Knicks fans wait and wonder when will be the next time their team is competing and playing meaningful basketball during this time of year. Knicks fans have had to endure a long period of seeing their team well out of contention at way too early points of the NBA season. But now for the first time since the 1980's the Knicks have young elite talent and are positioned to have a bright near future. Much thanks to the stubbornness and decision-making of Basketball Genius Phil Jackson the 2018 Knicks are positioned as well as the most recent Dynasty; the Golden State Warriors, were in the 2011-2012 NBA Season. The Knicks have in place their future Franchise Cornerstone in Kristaps Porzingis and they have several top 10 drafted young talents in PG Emmanuel Mudiay(2015, 7^th Overall Pick), PG Frank Ntilikina( 2017, 8^th Overall Pick), C Enes Kanter( 2011 3^rd Overall Pick) and PG Trey Burke( 2013, 9^th Overall Pick) to develop alongside Kristaps. The major comparable points to these two teams are 1) Steph Curry was in year 3 and suffered a season-ending injury which lead to those GS Warriors final record a horrid 23-43 under 1^st year coach Mark Jackson. 2) That horrible record lead the Warriors to a top 10 pick in 7^th overall pick Harrison Barnes from North Carolina. Who eventually became the starting small forward to the record breaking 73 game winning 2015-16 Warriors' Team. Warriors also were able to draft future all-star Draymond Green( 2^nd Round, 35^th Pick Overall) and valauble rim protect and bigman Festus Ezeli( 1^st Round, 30^th Overall Selection) in that same 2012 Draft. 3) That 2011-12 Warriors also had a rookie lottery pick in Shooting Guard Klay Thompson, which is a lot like the Knicks with their 2017 Lottery pick currently Frank Ntilikina. Like Frank, Klay Thompson struggled through much of rookie year but showed great potential playing alongside Steph Curry.

To that point the Knicks current front office lead by President Steve Mills and General Manager Scott Perry have something of a tall task on their hands to manage this current Knicks Situation well and make this next Knicks era one New Yorkers and NBA fans alike have never seen before. I believe Perry and Mills are the right team for the job and the moves Perry has made so far this season from the Carmelo Anthony trade to trading for Emmanuel Mudiay to picking up Troy Williams from Houston on a 10-Day Contract has shown excellent executive maneuvering skills to me thus far. For me I believe the Knicks have their future core already in place, with at Center Enes Kanter, Power Forward Kristaps Porzingis, and at the guards Emmanuel Mudiay and Frank Nitlikina but will need to add a two-way talent at the small forward to complete themselves. There is where I believe the Knicks are in a great position to land that perfect player in the next 6 months or so. They can possibly draft that player with their being great options in the upcoming draft of Kevin Knox from Kentucky, Mikal Bridges from Villanova, or Miles Bridges from Michigan State. The Knicks can also pursue that player in a trade with maybe Detriot for SF Stanley Johnson, or with Brooklyn for SF Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, or even with the Portland Trailblazers from New York Queens Native SF Moe Harkless. I also believe the Knicks can find that player in free agency, whether a player like SF Luc Mbuh a Moute, SF Kevon Looney, or former college teammate of both PG Trey Burke and SG Tim Hardaway JR, SF Glenn Robinson III.

While all those are good options to continue to further the Knicks in the right direction, I believe there's one player that the Knicks should really look into acquiring this off-season. The player that makes the most sense to me is current Small Forward of the Orlando Magic, Aaron Gordon. With recent reports coming out of Orlando that the Magic front office might look to move Gordon in the off-season makes him not only available but a very worthy addition to the current New York Knicks. With Aaron Gordon set to become a restricted Free Agent this off-season, there's a chance the Knicks could work out a very good sign-and-trade deal with the Magic very similar to the deal the two made in 2015 for PF/C Kyle O'Quinn. I feel Gordon could be a supreme fit for not only the Knicks and Kristaps Porzingis but for Gordon's development fitting well with a Jeff Hornacek like system of play. I will give 3 great reasons why Aaron Gordon should be New York Knicks target number one in the 2018 off-season.

Aaron Gordon

Position: SF/PF

Size: 6'9, 220Lbs

Age: 22

Current Team: Orlando Magic

2017-18 Stats: 39 Games Played, 34.0 Minutes Per Game, 16.9 PER(Player Efficiency Rating), 18.4 Points Per Game, 8.3 Rebounds Per Game, 2.2 Assists Per Game, 0.9 Steals Per Game, 0.7 Blocks Per Game, .447% Field Goal Percentage, .346% 3-Point Percentage, .718% Free Throw Percentage

TrueFan Pro Comparison: SF Shawn Marion

3 Reasons Knicks #1 Priority

1) Aaron Gordan's Best Skills Match Current Knicks Culture, System, and team Vision extremely well.

To what the Knicks new front office brass motto has been “ Athleticism, Teamwork, and Defense”, Gordon checks all those boxes off handsomely. Aaron Gordon coming into the league was marked as a “5-Tool” Player that can do a bit of everything extremely well. Gordon's main strengths are as listed:

-Superior Athleticism

-Elite Defensive Skills and Abilitiles

-Offensively Versatile

-Great Rebounder

-High Basketball IQ/ Very Unselfish

Aaron Gordon Scouting Report Video

In a Jeff Hornacek system that promotes pushing the pace and getting in transition, Gordon would be the final piece to a team build completely in the mold of their head coach. Gordon would fit in very nicely as a great option off of Porzingis and Hardaway as he can pass well and also fill the lanes greatly. Gordon would also make for a great transition running mate with PG Emmanuel Mudiay for lobs and constant pressure on defenses. His main weaknessess, are 1) Creating his own shot, 2) A Poor Post-Up Game, 3) Small for playing the Power Forward, would all be made up by his role on the Knicks. On the Knicks Gordon wouldn't be a feature offensive player expected to create his own shots against defensives and Gordon would be able to play a more natural position of Small Forward. Where as the Small Forward he can use his great rebounding ability to help out in a area where say Franchise Player Kristaps Porzingis is not as great in. The fit for Aaron Gordon and the New York Knicks on the basketball court is potentially off the charts and could make for a great, great team in New York City.

2)Aaron Gordon is scheduled to become a free agent in 2018. The Knicks would not have to give up to many assets to acquire Gordon.

With Rumors coming out around the Trade Deadline that the Orlando Magic were shopping not only PG Elfrid Payton but also SF Aaron Gordon is a clear sign the current Magic Front Office want to move on from the last administrations' players. While Payton was dealt are the deadline to the Suns, Gordon now goes into the off-season possibly on the trade block. I would also project that this Orlando Magic Front Office doesn't see Gordon as a vaulable piece or a Franchise Cornerstone player. Given that this current Magic front office drafted Jonathon Issac last year 6th overall in the draft and that Issac has very similar skill sets and plays virtually the same position I believe they prefer to develop Issac over Gordon. I feel like how the Knicks acquired Emmanuel Mudiay from the Denver Nuggets, in Aaron Gordon with the Orlando Magic the Knicks might have a very similar beneficial situation.

3) NY Knicks Current General Manager had a major hand in the Orlando Magic drafting Aaron Gordon in 2014.

In 2014 when the Orlando Magic drafted SF Aaron Gordon out of Arizona with the 4^th Overall Pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks current General Manager, Scott Perry was the Orlando Magic Vice President and Assistant General Manager at the time. Perry was also close to trading for PG Elfrid Payton this trade deadline just passed but decided that the deal with Denver for PG Emmanuel Mudiay was a better deal. Perry was very vocal about how great of a player he felt Gordon could be and why Orlando at that time choose Gordon over PG Marcus Smart and PF Julius Randle. I think the Knicks and the Magic have a great opportunity to make a deal that benefits both teams. For one I don't believe that the current Orlando Magic Front Office wants to commit a huge long term contract to Gordon as their Franchise Player. I don't believe that Gordon is that type of player, I feel he has elite talent, but he's not a Type 1, Superstar type of player. I feel Gordon is more like a Andre Iguodala basketball talent and for Orlando they most likely will have to make a decision like the Philadelphia 76ers did on Andre Iguodala many years ago. To that point the Knicks I believe can possibly trade a lottery protected 1^st Round Pick to Orlando and sign Gordon to a comfortable team-friendly and player-friendly 4-5 year deal. With the Knicks and Magic recently discussing trading Joakim Noah contract for Bismack Biyombo in the potential Elfrid Payton to New York deal, it's possible that could be another incentive for these two teams to hook up and make a deal with each other.

The current New York Knicks are in the best position they have been in since the 1980's. For Knicks fan, patience is the best remedy. After waiting this long, we are finally around the corner from a legitimate Championship Contending Team. The Knicks could possibly have a young excelling team that could look like this:

PG Emmanuel Mudiay

PG Frank Ntilikina

SF Aaron Gordon

PF Kristaps Porzingis

C Enes Kanter

SG/SF Tim Hardaway Jr

PG Trey Burke

C Luke Kornet

SG Damyean Dotson

The only thing that could derail this progress would be : impatience. I caution Knicks fans not to stop the movement by having fired or replaced either of the Knicks current leadership; President Steve Mills, General Manager Scott Perry, or Head Coach Jeff Hornacek.

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