3 moves the Knicks need to make this offseason
By John Buhler
The New York Knicks need to make a few moves this offseason to pick up ground in the East.
After massively overachieving this season, the New York Knicks need to make a few moves to improve their roster if they really want to be a factor in the Eastern Conference next year.
New York clawed, scratched and fought its way to a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference and the franchise’s first playoff berth in eight seasons. While they only won one game in their best-of-seven, first-round series with the No. 5-seeded Atlanta Hawks, New York should be a playoff team again next year. However, they will need to upgrade the roster to improve their definite ceiling.
Here are three offseason moves the Knicks can do to build on what they accomplished this year.
3. Knicks need to re-sign Taj Gibson to maintain physical, low-post presence and team identity
One of the biggest advantages to having Tom Thibodeau as a head coach is he can get the most out of his roster to buy in defensively. His teams are always tough, but they really take it to that next level when you have an on-court disciple preaching his gospel. One of the players who best embodies what Thibodeau’s coaching philosophy is all about is veteran power forward Taj Gibson.
He has played for Thibodeau with the Chicago Bulls, the Minnesota Timberwolves and now with the Knicks. While the 11-year NBA veteran will be entering his age-36 season out of USC, he is the perfect glue-guy down low to help this physical team maintain its identity. Gibson will be hitting free agency this summer after spending the last two years in the Big Apple, so he will come cheap.
Even if New York brings back another Thibodeau disciple in Derrick Rose, the Knicks are going to have to get younger and more dynamic somewhere else. A bunch of 30-somethings will help this team mature, but could potentially run out of gas in the early rounds of next year’s NBA Playoffs. While Gibson may not play every night, his presence in the low-post and in the locker room matter.
New York will need to do more than re-sign a few believers of the Thibodeau gospel this summer.