1. New Additions
No matter how great your coach is, no matter how loud the fans are, this is the NBA and to win you need players. The last few seasons the Knicks had players the likes of Lou Amundson, Sasha Vujacic and Travis Wear.
Now, Jackson has finally put pieces around Carmelo Anthony who made it clear he wants to retire in New York. The Knicks went into the offseason with really only two positions set, that was Melo and Porzingis. On June 23rd, Jackson began putting together the puzzle. He sent Robin Lopez, Jose Calderon and Jerian Grant to Chicago for Derrick Rose, Justin Holiday and a 2017 second-round pick.
Once free agency hit, Jackson was back at it. On July 1st, the Knicks agreed to a deal with Joakim Noah and only two days later they locked up Courtney Lee. This created a starting five of Rose, Lee, Melo, KP and Noah. That is 100% better then what they were running out last season.
Probably the most under rated addition was point guard Brandon Jennings. The Knicks signed Jennings to a one-year deal but expect him to stick around for many more. Jennings at one time was a feared point guard who can score the ball and had great speed. Another thing Jennings brings is toughness. Whenever he is on the court there is an immediate spark.
The Knicks finally have players that can help them compete and should lead them into the playoffs. Many are locked up in multi-year deals and those who are not should be extended by the end of the season. This is a team that can be together for years if all goes right. There is a lot of if’s with the Knicks but that is every NBA team. They will be exciting to watch, for sure.