In a July 25th article written by ESPN, they predicted every teams’ record for the upcoming season. They had the Knicks missing the playoffs with a record of 40-42.
It’s safe to say that ESPN was more than right when they predicted the team’s struggle and disastrous season.
In an August interview, Derrick Rose believed the team was going to become a “super team” and on paper, the team seemed to fit the status quo. However, it all went downward after their Christmas game loss against the Boston Celtics, where they’ve gone 12-32 since then.
Can there be one focal point to explain what happened to the team that was supposed to challenge LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers? It would be hard to tell. Questionable free agent signings and sudden DNP’s (thanks Derrick Rose) could be the scapegoat of the season, but we should take a look at what’s in front of us and see the good in the bad.
For starters, ever since Joakim Noah’s injury, Willy Hernangomez has been put into the starting lineup and has shown glimpses of what we can expect in the near future. Kristaps Porzingis has a long history with him, dating back to when they played in the Spanish ACB league when they were just teenagers.
Although averaging only 7.7 points and 6.7 rebounds a game (NBA.com), he still has a long way to go, starting with defense, according to Jeff Hornacek.
“We told him, ‘Hey you just got to go for it — if you foul you foul.’ That’s all right. Other guys will step up. We never want to give up the easy bucket.”
Surrounding Willy are eight other players who are 27 years old or younger. Developing these players is going to be really important moving forward. Giving these players playing time against the best in the world this season will prepare them for when their record goes back to 0-0 next season.
Another important question that should be brought up is, should the Knicks tank to get a higher draft pick?
The team had the worst record in franchise history when they drafted Kristaps Porzingis in the 2015 NBA Draft. Theoretically, it would be a miracle if the Knicks were to make it to playoffs at this point.
Of course, tanking would probably ruin a fan’s optimism for the team winning, but we should face reality and look at the benefits if the team keeps tallying up loss after loss.
Imagine next years lineup if we let Derrick Rose walk, draft a point guard, and sign valuable role players? The squad wouldn’t be terrifying to play, but it would be a reality check and a step in the right direction rather than speeding up the process and going to the drawing board every three years.
So by all means, tank away! Let us get a top-5 draft pick and develop our young players for the rest of the season. This season is already down the drain and giving fans a sneak peak into the future of the organization will have Knicks’ fans excited for what’s in store.
