2018 New York Knicks Off-Season Preview
2018
New York Knicks Off-Season Preview
Written By Kyle Crabbe
Twitter:@KthetruestKnick
As the 2017-18 NBA Regular
Season comes to an end the New York Knicks organization will now
shift their focus to the most important off-season in team's history.
The 2018 New York Knicks front office and coaching staff find
themselves in the position to further develop the team and continue
the rebuild started by former President Phil Jackson in 2015. Jackson
added the rebuild's main player, face and franchise cornerstone in
the 2015 NBA Draft with Kristaps Porzingis and followed by adding the
second cornerstone to complete the one-two foundation by drafting
Point Guard Frank Ntilikina in the 2017 NBA Draft. Both picks were
met with typical New York City criticism and skepticism. However in
the short time we have seen the two young talents play, they have
displayed both rare physical gifts, advanced Basketball IQ and great
potential by both young prospects. The great Phil Jackson has the
resume of already leading two of the most dominate one-two tandems in
NBA History in Micheal Jordan-Scottie Pippen(Chi Bulls) to Shaquille
O'Neal-Kobe Bryant( LA Lakers) and if history repeats itself Phil
might have the New York Knicks blessed by the basketball gods with
possibly Willis Reed-Walt Frazier 2020.
For the 2018 Off-Season the New
York Knicks will focus heavily on the 2018 NBA Draft in which they
look to secure another Top 10 draft talent to fit with what the
Knicks have and can potentially develop into helping this young New
York core reach heights and success in the near future. The Knicks
will also have a major focus on Free Agency during the off-season,
but rather than looking to add a major player in free agency, for the
Knicks free agency main priorities will be about retaining some of
the players on the team now that can become free agents this
off-season like PF/C Kyle O'Quinn, PF Michael Beasley, and C Enes
Kanter. Here at TrueFan we will go over some of the things Knicks
fans and Basketball fans can expect to see from the New York Knicks
in the 2018 NBA off-season.
2018
NBA Draft
For the New York Knicks this year, the NBA Draft is of
the most important order for their off-season. In this year's NBA
draft, I believe there is a great amount of talent and the Knicks
like many teams picking in the top 12-15 have a great chance of
getting a good prospect that can be very productive for years. Closer
to the actual NBA draft in June I will release another article more
in-depth on the prospects the Knicks might draft, but here we will
briefly go over the young players the Knicks will be looking at in
the upcoming draft.
The NY Knicks most likely based on their 2017-18
Regular Season record will be picking in the 1st Round
with either the 8th or 9th Selection. The
Knicks already have good depth and options at the Guard positions
with Frank Ntlikina, Trey Burke, Emmanuel Mudiay, Damyean Dotson, and
Tim Hardaway Jr. Knicks also have excellent options at their
frontcourt positions with Kristaps Porzingis, Kyle O'Quinn, Luke
Kornet, Enes Kanter. So in my opinion, the Knicks will target a Small
Forward-wing player that can fit in well with the young nucleus. From
what we have heard from General Manager Scott Perry and Head Coach
Jeff Hornacek throughout the season, I believe the Knicks will look
for a Small Forward that can has great athleticism, can defend well,
and brings a strong sense of team work to the court. So for the 1st
Round Pick I believe there are 3 strong candidates we can foresee the
Knicks picking. Those prospects Knicks fans can look for are:
 |
| Mikal Bridges Hightlights |
Mikal Bridges, Villanova
 |
| Kevin Knox Highlights |
Kevin Knox, Kentucky
 |
| Zhaire Smith Highlights |
Zhaire Smith, Texas Tech
The player I believe has the strongest chance to be
drafted by the Knicks is Villanova's Mikal Bridges. Bridges comes
into this year's draft as the draft's best defender. Bridges also has
great length and athleticism for the Small Forward position as he is
measured at 6'7 with a huge 7'2” wingspan. Bridges would be a
supreme fit alongside Kristaps Porzingis and Frank Ntilikina
offensively and Defensively.
Even though Bridges is most likely the best fit for the
Knicks, both Kevin Knox of Kentucky and Zhaire Smith of Texas Tech
are also excellent potential picks for the Knicks. In Kevin Knox the
Knicks get a true modern NBA forward that has all-star level
potential from the Small Forward postion. Knox is more offensively
skilled at this point in his young career however. Zhaire Smith of
Texas Tech is another great potential Knicks selection as Smith is
one of the more athletic wing players coming into the 2018 NBA draft.
Smith is already a great defensive player and has drawn comparison to
New York Knick Legend and Fan Icon John Starks. In Mikal Brides,
Kevin Knox, or Zhaire Smith the Knicks would be adding the final
piece to the young core they have in place. Here at TrueFan we will
give more detailed breakdowns of these potential picks closer to the
draft, so stay tuned.
The Second Round of the NBA draft is also a great place
for landing good talent and finding players that can make
contributions to a championship team. I have found a couple players
that Knicks fans can look at that also could be great potential
selections for the Knicks who hold a second round pick via Chicago
from the Carmelo Anthony trade. Here are 3 players I feel have a
great chance at being picked by the Knicks in the 2018 NBA Draft
Second Round:
Justin Jackson, SF/PF, Maryland
Rodions Kurucs, SF, FC Barcelona
Moritz Wagner, PF, Michigan
As I have continued to look at the players coming out
of college and the international ranks for this years draft, few
players have caught my eye as a potential steal more than Maryland's
SF Justin Jackson. I feel Jackson can be a great fit and potential a
great career based on his skill set. Jackson has incredible size for
his position measuring in at 6'7” and a 7'3” wingspan. His game
in college was a combination of Kawhi Leonard and Draymond Green. In
my opinion his game translates in the NBA to that of a career similar
to Robert “Big Shot Bob” Horry, whereas he's a great intangible
player that can shoot well from deep. I would greatly like the Knicks
to pick Jackson, who is a 1st Round Talent but due to a
season ending injury this year will most likely fall to the second
round, where a team maybe the Knicks will get a Kyle Kuzma like steal
in Justin Jackson.
The Knicks could also be looking at Rodions Kurucs and
Moritz Wagner. The interest in Moritz Wagner will become more and
more obvious as we get closer to the draft but the connections
between the current Knicks regime and Wagner make for a match made in
heaven for both parties. Moritz Wagner is a talented big that can do
a little bit of everything from the Power Forward position and helped
lead his Michgan team to the NCAA championship game. Wagner's
connection to the Knicks is, 1) General Manger Scott Perry is a
former coach at Michgan and 2) Knicks current starting backcourt of
Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr are both Michigan alumni. Wagner would
be a great pick for depth and versatility.
The Knicks would also be making a great pick in adding
Small Forward Rodions Kurucs. Kurucs would be a excellent pick for 3
quick reasons: 1) Kurucs is the best Latvian Basketball Prospect
since Knicks Current Star Kristaps Porzingis, they share a
relationship and KP has been already a mentor to Kurucs. 2) Kurucs
talents fit the Knicks current weakness, the Knicks in 2017-18 were
one of the worst Three-Point Shooting teams( 29th is 3-pt
Att. 29th in 3-pt Made). Rodions Kurucs is one of the best
shooters in the 2018 NBA Draft and his game would stretch the more
greatly for the Knicks. 3) Rodions Kurucs would fit the Knicks need
for a talented Small Forward that could open the floor and play a
euro style play as he could easily be a excellent fit alongside KP,
Nitlikina, Hardway and Kanter.
The New York Knicks have a opportunity to come away
after the 2018 NBA draft as a young team with all the pieces to
compete for the next decade. In a few short months we will see who
the Knicks will pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Readers can also check
back on the blog for further analysis in the coming weeks approaching
the 2018 NBA Draft.
Free
Agency
After completing the 2018 NBA Draft the New York Knicks
will turn their focus onto Free Agency. Their main concern will most
likely be immediately after the draft is their own free agents that
might opt-in or test the open market and become free agents
themselves like Enes Kanter or Kyle O'Quinn. That brief period will
directly lead into the overall free agency period in which the Knicks
might target a few names to bolster the current team. Here at TrueFan
we will look over what the Knicks could potentially do and what
potential moves they might make starting with assessing the Knicks
own potential free agents.
Knicks
Team Free Agents
-Center Enes Kanter – Situation: Player Option
-Power Forward / Center Kyle O'Quinn – Situation:
Player Option
-Guard Ron Baker – Situation: Player Option
-Point Guard Jarret Jack – Unrestricted Free Agent
-Forward Michael Beasley – Unrestricted Free Agent
I believe at this point in the off-season General
Manager Scott Perry and the New York Knicks front office have some
pretty difficult choices to make. With both starting Center and
back-up Center Enes Kanter and Kyle O'Quinn both poised to opt out of
their current contracts and seek long-term deals, it will be
interesting to see if the Knicks are able to retain both O'Quinn and
Kanter, one of the two or even end up at the end of free agency
losing both. I do hope that the Knicks are able to lock up one of
these two dynamic bigmen to long-term deals in New York, both have
shown the ability to contribute nightly and bring a New York City
style toughness that Knicks' fans appreciate. It will also be
interesting to see if the Knicks bring back Forward Michael Beasley,
who has had a great year in which he has consistently produced under
the Jeff Hornacek led system.
In addition to focusing on their own potential free
agents, I believe the Knicks might also be looking elsewhere around
the league for talent to fit in what New York is building. I'll
mention a few names here and go into these potential free agency
signings later on. Here's a few players that might be on the Knicks
radar in free agency that fits around the current young core of
players the New York Knicks are building around:
-Shooting Guard/Small Forward : Mario Hezonja
-Small Forward – Glenn Robinson III
-Small Forward – Shabazz Muhammad
-Power Forward / Center – Channing Frye
-Small Forward / Power Forward – Kevon Looney
I could see the Knicks pursuing any one of these 5
potential players. They all create great fits for the current Knicks
core and could be excellent potential additions. As we approach free
agency I will go further into detailing the skills that these players
have and why those skills offer great potential matches with the New
York Knicks. Stay Tuned.
Possible
Trades
In the course of the off-season the possibility of a
trade or trades happening is also something worth mentioning and
looking into as the New York Knicks embark on such a important
off-season. The Knicks have potentially in my opinion 2 players that
could potentially be moved for a better fit elsewhere. I also have
outlined 3 potential trades that the Knicks could look into that
could dramatically improve their future. Let's take a look:
Potential
Knicks Traded
A) Courtney Lee
Targets: San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons,
Houston Rockets
TrueFan Take: Courtney Lee has had a great season
for the Knicks and has played very well in his 2 seasons under Coach
Jeff Hornacek. However I feel that for 2 main reasons Lee might be a
better fit with potentially Detroit or even the Spurs. Reason 1) With
the signing of Tim Hardaway Jr and the drafting of Damyean Dotson at
the same position of Lee, Lee has become expendable for the
development of the younger player and the Knicks long-term. 2) Lee
being a talented veteran in his basketball prime, his skills are most
likely better served with a team in a playoff contention than on a
young team developing.
B) Joakim Noah
Targets: Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State
Warriors, Washington Wizards
TrueFan Take: Joakim Noah has had recent troubles
in New York off the court but he falls on this list mainly for
similar reasons as Courtney Lee. Noah, a passionate New York native
was in theory a great match with the starting lineup of Carmelo
Anthony, Derrick Rose, Kristaps Porzingis, and Courtney Lee in the
vaunted triangle offense. But with Phil Jackson and Carmelo Anthony
no longer the focal points leading the New York Knicks' ship; Noah no
longer looks very attractive on this youthful roster. I firmly
believe if given an opportunity Noah still has 2 to 3 productive NBA
seasons in him. Even though Noah clashed with Coach Hornacek during
the season, I believe there could be a possibility that Noah returns
to the Knicks lineup if say Enes Kanter or Kyle O'Quinn was to sign
elsewhere. However, I believe there's a strong possibility the Knicks
and T'Wolves find a trade acceptable for each other so Noah gets to
reunite with his former Bulls running mates Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson,
Jimmy Butler and Coach Tom Thibodeau in Minnesota.
3
Potential Knicks Summer Blockbusters
3) Stanley Johnson
Current Team: Detroit Pistons
Detroit Receives: SG Courtney Lee, PF Isaiah
Hicks, PG/SG Ron Baker
New York Receives: SF Stanley Johnson, PG/SG
Langston Galloway
TrueFan Fit Grade: B+
2) Aaron Gordon
-Sign And Trade
Current Team: Orlando Magic
Orlando Receives: 2020 Second Round Pick, PF
Isaiah Hicks, Cash Considerations
New York Receives: SF Aaron Gordon and Signs for
5 Year Deal
TrueFan Fit Grade: A
Check Out Article: “ FinalPiece Of New York Rebuild” for more on Aaron Gordon Trade.
1) Kawhi Leonard
Current Team: San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Receives: SG Courtney Lee, SF Lance
Thomas, SF Troy Williams, 2019 Lottery Protected 1st Round
Pick, 2020 2nd Round Pick, 2021 Right to Swap 2nd
Rounds Picks
New York Receives: SF Kawhi Leonard
TrueFan Fit Grade: A+
Off-Season
Outlook
This 2018 Off-season will no
doubt be the most important New York Knicks off-season in quite a few
years and could potentially make the Knicks a great team for the next
decade if played smartly. Lastly I will point to some of the major
aspects fans should monitor for the New York Knicks 2018 Off-season.
A)
Kristaps Porzingis Rebab And Health Outlook
For the Knicks and young
cornerstone star Kristaps Porzingis there is a great opportunity
here. For Porzingis, he will get the opportunity to take as much time
as he needs to build himself up and rehab himself to a much stronger
version. For the Knicks organization, they have the opportunity to 1)
Build great trust and commitment with Porzingis in aiding him and
building him back up through this rehab process 2) The Knicks have
been gifted with another top 10 draft pick directly due to the
Porzingis injury and can benefit from another high talented played in
this coming draft. Being in the draft lottery, the Knicks could end
up getting lucky with a top 3 selections if the balls fall their way.
B) Frank
Ntilikina/ Emmanuel Mudiay Off-Season Training
The current Knicks have finally
washed away another age old issue they have had in recent turmoil
with solving their ever revolving door at the Point Guard Position.
The Knicks now have a young 3-headed monster at the point guard spot
in 25 Year-Old sweet shooting shaking and baking Trey Burke, 22
Year-Old Penetrating Floor General Emmanuel Mudiay, and 19 Year Old
Defensive Phenom Frank Ntilikina. But as of right now they are
developing and not very consistent at displaying their talents every
night. This lack of consistently is mostly a description of the
younger two of the three in Ntilikina and Mudiay. Both born outside
of the United States and both unselfish to a flaw; will be huge
pieces in New York if developed to their huge potentials and rather
high ceilings. In Mudiay I believe the Knicks have to re-instill the
confidence the young man lost in Denver and put him in position to
reach the great potential he's had since high school. I believe
another highly touted player in Trey Burke has matured and earned
already his spot with his play this year in the G-League and with the
NY Knicks as the starting Point Guard with the Knicks for 2018-19
season but for New York's long-term future, the training, patience
and development of Frank Ntilikina and Emmanuel Mudiay is of
significant importance this off-season. The Knicks already have the
best young guard coach in the league in Jeff Hornacek to develop
these young point guard prospects. Under Hornacek Trey Burke is
already realizing his huge top 10 draft potential with big 40 point
and 10 assists games, we also have saw improvement in Mudiay's flawed
Jump-Shot under Hornacek teachings already, and we see Ntilikina
slowly gaining his offense confidence in the Hornacek open offensive
style. If this current New York front office can be more patience
with these two young pass first point guards than New York was in
1989 with 24 year old Mark Jackson and 23 Year Old Rod Strickland
than the Knicks can have two of the next generation best passing
guards in the league and one of the very best backcourts in my
opinion.
C) Jeff
Hornacek's Future / Head Coach Search
Jeff
Hornacek's future as head coach of the New York Knicks has become a
popular talking point amongst fans and media pundits alike throughout
the NBA Regular Season. However from every statistical point of
evidence Jeff Hornacek has had a great year as head coach of the
Knicks. From the many career years ( Kristaps Porzingis, Courtney
Lee, Enes Kanter, Tim Hardaway Jr, Kyle O'Quinn) to the players that
found new life to their games( Michael Beasley, Jarret Jack) to fact
that the Knicks won more games than predicted by many outlets shows
Hornacek is one of the better bench coaches in the NBA. Through the
first 6 weeks the Knicks lead the league in home wins and before Tim
Hardaway Jr's injury the Knicks were 2 games over .500. The
criticisms of Hornacek are mainly subjective arguments claiming his
lack of development in the Knicks' young players and his arguably
poor lineup rotations. However those are criticisms that can be put
on any coach at any time and have little to no measurable evidence to
support such claims. From what I can objectively gather Hornacek is
still the best choice as coach for the Knicks this year and going
forward. I will leave 3 strong points for why the Knicks shouldn't
even be considering moving Hornacek right now. 1) This might be the
biggest reason alone. Giving Kristaps Porzingis a new head coach and
his 4th
Head Coach into his 4th
NBA Season would be player development Malpractice. With Porzingis
having two years under Hornacek and having a career year this season
before injury under Hornacek makes perfect sense to keep the Coach
that has been developing your young Franchise Player and Franchise
Cornerstone. 2) Many of the current players speak the praises of Jeff
Hornacek. Many players in his two years with the Knicks to his tenure
in Phoenix has had career seasons under Hornacek( Eric Bledsoe, Goran
Dragic, Channing Frye, Gerald Green). Players speak well of Hornacek
from Enes Kanter, Courtney Lee, Jarrett Jack to Tim Hardaway, to Trey
Burke claiming Hornacek's gives him the chance to play his game;
clearly shows Hornacek has a good grasp on how to get his players to
play hard and to their best every game. To that point, in a season
where expectation were low for the Knicks, the Knicks competed in
every last game for Hornacek. Another telling sign is the Madison
Square Garden faithful never booed Hornacek or faithfully hailed
“Fire Hornacek” chants, maybe because the Knicks was in virtually
every game at the Garden this season. 3) From coming 3rd
in the Coach of the Year race in his first year coaching in Phoenix
to his two years of improvement with the Knicks, we have seen
improved play in all years under all of Coach Hornacek's tenures. In
my opinion, Jeff Hornacek is a great basketball mind and a coach on
par with the Brad Stevens and Steve Kerr's of the NBA world. Here in
New York I've seen great basketball coaches send packing much too
early in Mike Woodson, Mike D'Antoni, and Larry Brown and believe
that Hornacek is too good a coach to let emotions run him out of town
also. The Head Coaching position will however be another point of the
New York Knicks off-season to monitor. As possible replacements like
David Blatt, David Fizdale, Jason Kidd, Doc Rivers, and Mark Jackson
will be floated around all summer.
We
will go more in depth to how the Knicks will approach the upcoming
draft and the free agency period throughout the summer. But one thing
is for sure in my opinion, the 2018 New York Knicks finally can say
they have a bright, bright future.
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