Knicks fans, stop me if you’ve heard this one before: A season is lost due to lack of talent and a core riddled by injuries, turning into a ‘player development year’ focused on ‘changing the culture’. That’s more or less been the story the past five playoff appearance-less Knicks seasons.
Yet, there is a reason to believe that this season will be different.
After finishing 60-104 in two seasons with Jeff Hornacek as head coach, the Knicks front office decided to make a change in leadership that would result in a concrete change of identity and culture. They believe they have found that change in David Fizdale.
“[Fizdale has] really shown what he’s trying to do here and that’s to try and build a culture, try to build an identity for our team from the jump,” said Tim Hardaway Jr. during Knicks’ media day.
“He’s definitely leaving a mark”
Knicks fans grew frustrated with Hornacek’s lack of focus on young players’ development, as last year Jarrett Jack recorded more minutes per game than rookie point guard Frank Ntilikina. Without a clear path to making the playoffs, the Knicks have done everything to signal that this is another rebuilding year, but of a different breed.
Fizdale has already remarked about the importance of “being patient with our development, [and] the way we build our culture from the ground up.”
This is a sentiment that seems to be echoed by the front office. New General Manager Scott Perry has already stated that the goal of this team this year is player development and that the front office must resist the urge to “skip steps” in team development by chasing big-name stars in exchange for young assets. This is just one reason the Knicks have been fairly passive in Jimmy Butler trade rumors, by all accounts.
Team President Steve Mills has already referred to Kristaps Porzingis as the franchise “cornerstone”, a declaration that has Knicks fans optimistic about the (at times) frayed relationship between Porzingis and the front office. However, Porzingis will have to face his greatest challenge yet this season.
After tearing his ACL in a February game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Porzingis has been working to get back to full health through rehab in Madrid and Latvia. He’s already returned to shooting and light running, but after only 8 months, there is still no timetable for his return.
This is a good thing. The Knicks will want to be patient with Porzingis’s recovery, as Porzingis himself pointed out that “there is no protocol for a 7-foot-3 guy,” recovering from an injury of such severity.
Porzingis, nonetheless, seems optimistic about how things are going. “It’s good vibes around here.”
Fizdale even took the time to visit Porzingis in Latvia this summer, laying the foundation of a relationship that will play a large role in determining the success of the team as well as Fizdale’s tenure. “We spent some good time talking about basketball, about life, you know, his personality, my personality, and so on so we got to know each other and then we spent some really productive days together,” said Porzingis during media day.
Talks of a rookie extension have largely been met with hesitation on both sides, with Porzingis saying publicly that he is just focused on this season and will let his management take care of the rest. In the aftermath of Karl-Anthony Towns securing a five-year, $190 million max deal, Porzingis and his representatives will rightfully have their eyes on securing the highest possible payday next summer in restricted free agency.
The optimism many Knicks fans are feeling about their young core goes far beyond the Latvian big man known affectionately as ‘The Unicorn’. Rookie Kevin Knox impressed many in Summer League with his dynamic scoring ability and poise, being named to the Summer League’s All NBA First Team after averaging 21.3 points per game.
Fizdale is excited about the potential versatility Knox brings the Knicks, remarking that “I can play him at any place on the floor,”
“You let him handle, you can post him, you can play him at the elbow, you can swing it to him at the top of the floor. The kid just has so many different tools.”
Knox would appear to fit the mold of an increasingly important position in the NBA; the 6-foot-6 to 6-foot-10 forward who can defend multiple positions and score inside and out. His development will play a large role in determining the ceiling of this young Knicks core.
Fizdale also appeared to be excited about the development Frank Ntilikina has made, remarking how he put on 15 pounds over the summer and even grew over an inch. “I see my body is changing,” said Ntilikina. “It’s exciting, it’ll allow me to play different positions.”
Ntilikina was stellar on defense last year, allowing only .649 points per possession defending the pick-and-roll, the best in the league among players with at least 200 such instances. Expect the 20-year-old with a 7-foot wingspan to guard multiple positions this year, all while looking to take steps forward offensively with his decision making and scoring ability.
Ntilikina will be a crucial part of what the Knicks do on defense, with Fizdale already contemplating playing an ultra-big lineup that includes Ntilikina and Knox along with Porzingis at small forward, Luke Kornet at power forward, and rookie Mitchell Robinson at center. That’s an absolutely massive lineup with an average height of 6-feet-11 inches and an average wingspan of 7-feet-2 inches.
Whether or not the lineup comes to fruition, Mitchell Robinson will look to make an impact defensively, as he showed flashes during Vegas Summer League of elite two-way play. Robinson, the 20-year-old second round pick who chose to forego his college season last year after enrolling at Western Kentucky University, has the potential to be an excellent rim protector and finisher once he is able to adjust to the speed of the game in the NBA.
Arguably the most talented player on the team is Tim Hardaway Jr., who is looking to live up to his $72 million contract signed in the summer of 2017. Hardaway averaged 17.5 points per game in his return to the Knicks last season and will look to build on his offensive game, as he will likely act as the number one or number two option in the time that Porzingis is out.
In order for Hardaway Jr. to become an elite scorer, his shooting efficiency must improve, particularly from behind the arc. He shot a career-low 31.7 percent from 3 last season, largely due to increased volume and more contested shots. A lower percentage of his 3-pointers were assisted last year than any other point of his career, which means that if he wants to improve his scoring efficiency from three he must try to find more open looks within the natural flow of the offense.
Enes Kanter turned some heads when he said that “my nipples get hard when I think about the playoffs,” but, grossness aside, Kanter making the playoffs may not be as far fetched as some Knicks fans may think. With an $18 million expiring contract, Kanter could be used in a number of trades and could potentially make an impact on a playoff team as a post scorer.
Whether or not he is traded, Kanter will be looking to expand his game offensively this season. He’s already stated that he’s “ready to take some three’s, man,” and will continue to try to find ways to score for a Knicks team that lacks offensive firepower. Kanter has struggled on defense for the majority of his career, so it should be interesting to see how he deals with Fizdale’s defense-first mentality.
The Knicks have not had a positive defensive rating in relation to the rest of the league since the 2011-12 season when Tyson Chandler anchored the defense and won Defensive Player of the Year. The Knicks opening day lineup could likely feature Kanter, Luke Kornet, and Tim Hardaway Jr., three individuals who are not exactly revered for their defensive prowess.
Specific roster permutations aside, Knicks fans should be excited about the beginning of The David Fizdale Experience. He and the front office seem to be genuinely interested in building a contender through youth development and patience, things that this organization has failed to deliver for the better part of two decades.
Whether or not the upcoming star-studded summer of 2019 will change this organization’s mentality is still to be determined, but until then, the Knicks appear to be building at a slow but steady pace, and that should encourage Knicks fans, even if it might not materialize this season.
Fizdale’s objective for this season seems to be aligned with that of the front office; he has placed emphasis on taking things slow and, in his own words, “staying with the process of it. Not getting overzealous and trying to hit a home run…..and just be patient with our development, the way we build our culture from the ground up. Not skipping any steps”
“With time, people will see that this is a different New York Knicks”
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