Bobby Portis

The New York Knicks did the best thing for their youth in free agency

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New York Knicks, Kevin Knox, RJ Barrett

Some might argue that the New York Knicks did their team a huge disservice by signing multiple veterans that will ultimately pick up a ton of playing time in 2019. My argument is the opposite.

As an organization, babying your players and not allowing them to compete hurts them more than anything. Competition brings the best out of athletes, and that’s why signing a slew of veterans to come in and steal playing time away from guys like Kevin Knox, Allonzo Trier, Mitchell Robinson and Damyean Dotson makes perfect sense.

Complacency is a dangerous thing, but it can be avoided by testing the younger players’ will power and ensuring they’re mentally ready to take on the challenge.

Who did the New York Knicks sign?

This offseason, the Knicks signed Marcus Morris, Julius Randle, Elfrid Payton, Reggie Bullock, Wayne Ellington, Bobby Portis, and Taj Gibson. Knox might be hurt the most by the excessive amount of power forward the team brought in, but it’s necessary for his development.

A majority of these deals are one/two-year deals with a team option, allowing the Knicks the theoretically move on after one season and open up cap-space to pursue a superstar in 2020-21. This is the right way to do things, as guaranteeing another year without playoffs just won’t fly in NY anymore. It’s simply time to contend no matter the cost.

Why will Kevin Knox struggle the most?

Selected ninth overall in 2018, Knox was never seen as a superstar right off the bat, but rather a long-term play for the team. Finishing his rookie campaign with 12.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and a 47 true shooting percentage in 57 starts, it was realized that the forward needed more time than expected to reach his potential.

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With playing time being the primary need, the Knicks added a ton of power forwards to shuffle him to the bottom of the roster. Knox has the ability to play both forward positions, but Randle and Portis will be frequent flyers at power forward and Bullock/Morris at small forward.

The logic behind this move doesn’t make much sense to me, but he was the only player that really struggled out of the Mitchell Robinson, Trier and Dotson grouping, and he was their first-round pick last year. Next season will be his time to show he can be the player the Knicks desperately need him to be.

Could the New York Knicks start Bobby Portis over Mitchell Robinson?

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New York Knicks, Mitchell Robinson

The New York Knicks seem to be over the developmental stage of their youth players and are keen on featuring the best lineup possible on game days. However, that poses a potential problem for some of the second-year players — Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson to name a few.

In regards to the rising center, the Knicks could elect to start Bobby Portis, a capable starter in the league that is better than Robinson at the current moment. If head coach David Fizdale’s assignment is to floor the best lineup every day, Portis could be in the starting unit, rotating the two frequently.

The new acquisition is in a good position to help the team, and he’s confident the Knicks can make the playoffs, he stated in an interview with HoopsHype’s Alex Kennedy.

“The naysayers, the haters, the people who are doubting us will say that we’re crazy as hell for saying that (the playoffs are a realistic goal),” Portis said. “We have a lot of pieces who can play. I think we’re loaded at every position; there are two-to-three players who could start at every position. When you have that much talent, that rises the competitiveness and improves the team as a whole.”

Portis, however, is a primary power forward rather than a center, but he’s capable. Portis is a center because although he has three-point range, he cannot guard quicker opponents on the perimeter. His defensive limitations hold him to a rim protector, but that’s the secondary problem, he’s also terrible at protecting the rim. In the modern NBA, a big man who can’t guard anyone around the arch is inevitably a center.

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If Fizdale was smart, he would start Mitchell Robinson and never look back. Stunting his growth with a lack of playing time is the exact opposite of what he should be doing. It’s imperative he focuses his efforts around building upon the younger players who have shown potential, like Robinson and Dennis Smith Jr. We can even throw Allonzo Trier, Damyean Dotson and Knox in there for good measure.

New York Knicks: How will David Fizdale distribute playing time in 2019?

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New York Knicks, Kevin Knox, RJ Barrett

The New York Knicks are beyond the point of babysitting. They’ve signed multiple pricey free agents and will be looking to utilize their talent instead of prioritizing the development of their youth.

The 2018 season was used as such — allowing options like Kevin Knox, Allonzo Trier, Mitchell Robinson, Damyean Dotson and more to rack up minutes with no consequences of failure. This upcoming season will be different. The front office wont hold back from playing the best players and we have to be ready to see options like Knox struggle to get on the court.

While we saw good things from Knox this past Summer League, the struggles will emerge again as they did last season. Whether he can fight through them or not is the question. However, just because the Knicks brought in players like Julius Randle and Marcus Morris doesn’t mean they can’t rotate frequently to ensure their players are gaining essential experience.

Building chemistry will also be a hurdle they must face head-on. Meshing rookies and youth with veterans isn’t always smooth, it will take playing time together to really help the team develop a cohesiveness.

I anticipate head coach David Fizdale favoring the players with the most potential at this point. He will undoubtedly start Randle, Morris, Robinson, and Dennis Smith Jr. The final slot could be handed to Knox, Dotson, Trier, Barrett…

Barrett, a 6-foot-7 winger, will earn his fair share of minutes, but his potential actually poses a problem for Fizdale who will have to floor an everyday lineup with a concentration of talent at power forward. Fizdale has been criticized in the past for his lineups — he consistently played Emmanuel Mudiay over Frank Ntilikina who absolutely ‘needed’ playing time.

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Finding a balance for Barrett, Robinson, Knox, Trier, Smith Jr., Ignas Brazdeikis, and veterans Elfrid Payton, Taj Gibson, Morris, Randle, and Bobby Portis will be difficult. They also have Wayne Ellington, a three-point sharpshooter.

The reality of the situation is that the Knicks could very well be a .500 team if they rely on the veterans. However, it’s still important that the youth players earn plenty of time on the court.

What role will Ignas Brazdeikis play with the New York Knicks this season

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New York Knicks, Ignas Brazdeikis

While the New York Knicks selection of R.J. Barrett attracted almost all the fanfare for the Knicks during the NBA Draft on June 20th, 2019, there was also the selection of Ignas Brazdeikis in the second round with the 47th pick.

Brazdeikis, a forward, averaged 15-5-1 on 46/39/77 in his one season of college ball for the University of Michigan basketball team.

Where will the New York Knicks feature the pair?

Many have speculated where Barrett will play, will he play more shooting guard or small forward, and will he start to open off the season or will Damyean Dotson, Allonzo Trier or Wayne Ellington start at the 2 on opening night.

Here I will examine the answers to those questions but for the Knicks other draft pick, Brazdeikis:

At Michigan, Brazdeikis was utilized as more of a power forward but it is generally believed that he will be more of a small forward in the NBA, mostly due to his build and 6’7 height. However, it is also believed he could play sporadic minutes at power forward, like Kevin Knox.

So how do the New York Knicks stack up at the forward positions where Brazdeikis plays? At Brazdeikis’ secondary position, Power Forward. In maybe the most notable development in the 2018-19 Knicks season, the Knicks traded away star power forward Kristaps Porzingis in a deal that also saw Tim Hardawy Jr., Courtney Lee and Trey Burke in exchange for Dennis Smith Jr. and two first-round picks.

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This left the Knicks with a hole at that position going forward. As the Knicks let the other power forward on the 2018-19 team, Noah Vonleh and Luke Kornet walk, power forward was to be a major need for the Knicks to fill in free agency, the Knicks marquee signing was Julius Randle, who is a lock to start at the 4 for probably the next two seasons if not more.

Then the Knicks also signed Taj Gibson, Bobby Portis and Marcus Morris. While the Knicks were mocked by some for signing a high number of power forwards, only Gibson looks to be a lock on play most of his minutes at the 4, as Portis is likely to backup Mitchell Robinson at center, and while Marcus Morris has logged the vast majority of his minutes for the Celtics at Power Foward, he was mostly a small forward the previous four seasons for the Suns and Pistons, which leads the door for him to potentially start for the Knicks at small forward this season.

Speaking of small forward…that is projected as the primary position Brazdeikis will play in the NBA. So how do the Knicks stack up there? Well, 3 players on the Knicks played the majority of their minutes at the 3 last year, Kevin Knox, the team’s first-round draft pick and Damyean Dotson, 2017 second-round pick, and Mario Hezonja, who is now on the Portland Trail Blazers.

Besides that, Reggie Bullock has logged 53% of his career minutes at the 3, but he may miss part of the season and play shooting guard (same for Dotson) when he comes back. (All position playing totals are according to Basketball reference)

So where does that leave Brazdeikis? Well, Randle, Morris, and Knox are definitely ahead of him along with Dotson if the Knicks play him at the 3, and Bullock probably too. That leaves Brazdeikis at best as probably the third-string option behind 4 players to start the season, and there is a possibility he spends some time with the G-league Westchester Knicks.

Both of those things aren’t necessarily bad though, as many second-round picks start off in the same situation. It is imperative that if Brazdeikis gets increased minutes due to Bullock’s injury, he could capitalize on those minutes to put himself in front of Bullock in the pecking order when he returns from injury.

The Role that Ignas Brazdeikis will play for the Knicks in the 2019-19 season is going to be an interesting development to watch and in my opinion, will be one of the more interesting things to watch out for in this season.

 

New York Knicks: Kevin Knox could be buried with power forward surplus

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New York Knicks, Kevin Knox

While the New York Knicks made a point to put a team option in the contract of their recent free agent signings (most are on two-year deals), it doesn’t necessarily promote the development of their younger players.

Bringing in Marcus Morris, Julius Randle, Bobby Portis, Reggie Bullock, Wayne Ellington, and Elfrid Payton, the Knicks signed three new power forwards and drafted another in RJ Barrett.

At the position, they now have Knox, Barrett, Morris, Randle, and Portis. Five players, three of which are proven and could steal playing time from younger options, especially Knox.

At this point, it doesn’t seem as if Knox will be a starting player and he might not even be a second-team reserve. Hopefully, they will favor him and allow him to continue growing and refining his skill-set.

Knox averaged 28.8 minutes per game in 2018, and I imagine that number will take a significant dip.

“It’s totally going to be different from last year,’’ Knox stated via the New York Post. “Rookie season, Mitch [Robinson] and Allonzo [Trier] got a lot of good minutes. That’s part of the development stage we were at. This year we got a lot of vets and older guys that will come in looking to play.”

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How are the New York Knicks going to approach this position battle?

The Knicks are certainly challenging the former first-round pick to reach his potential and compete with proven athletes. Shooting just 37 percent in 75 games over 57 starts, the 19-year-old will face off against Morris who was signed to a one-year, $14.8 million deal and the exciting Barrett who was the third-overall selection in the most recent draft. Portis is just another quality option that he will have to overcome.

Knox nailed it on the head, though — this is part of his development and competing will ultimately make him a better player.

New York Knicks: Is Kevin Knox ready to become a full-time starter?

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New York Knicks, Kevin Knox, RJ Barrett

Similar to his rookie campaign, New York Knicks power forward Kevin Knox had a solid Summer League, but this time around he seems different.

Coming into the league a more seasoned player, it’s obvious Knox has been developing his aggressiveness towards the rim and really attacking players in the paint. While we saw this last year, he didn’t seem to have the strength or gusto to weave his way through defenders.

https://twitter.com/Scott_Charlton/status/1149155552070656000

So far during the Summer League, he’s been putting all of his moves on display. Against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, Knox put up 25 points shooting 58.3 percent from the field (NBA.com). He also made two-of-five three-point attempts (40%).

While he did turn the ball over three times, something he will need to work on, his numbers have certainly been elevated which is a good sign. Last season, he averaged 12.8 points per game over 28.8 minutes played. In addition, his assist rate seems to be up as well, indicating his scanning of the floor and playing to facilitate and not objectify.

New York Knicks: Kevin Knox isn’t the only youngster coming into his own

Knox has looked stellar so far, and his rookie teammate RJ Barrett is finally coming around too, claiming his second-consecutive double-double and first triple-double in a 117-96 win for the Lakers.

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Barrett, who scored 21 points, shooting 35.3 percent from the field, also earned 10 rebounds and 10 assists. He had a very nice game utilizing his athleticism and dominating from the inside. His three-point game continues to struggle as he adapts to the length of the court, but he’s working his way into a role that will be consistent come the start of the regular season.

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Both Knox and Barrett will likely be starting options alongside Mitchell Robinson, Julius Randle, and Dennis Smith Jr. They have impressive rotational depth with Bobby Portis (could also start over Knox), Allonzo Trier, Ignas Brazdeikis, Damyean Dotson (can also start), Kadeem Allen, Frank Ntilikina, Wayne Ellington, Reggie Bullock, Taj Gibson, and Noah Vonleh. These are the primary players with several others sprinkled into the mix.

It will be interesting to see how the starting roster plays out, and having too much talent to choose from is certainly not a bad thing. Unfortunately, none of the options here are considered superstar caliber.

New York Knicks steal Marcus Morris away from San Antonio on one-year deal

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New York Knicks sign Marcus Morris.

The New York Knicks have made a lowkey splash in free agency this season, stealing a solid playing in Marcus Morris away from the San Antonio Spurs.

The Knicks, who brought in a slew of free agents to supplement missing out on superstars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, acquire a very talented power forward in Morris.

It seems as if the Knicks are power forward happy this offseason, bringing in Bobby Portis and drafting RJ Barrett. After re-working Reggie Bullock’s contract after an injury came to surface, the Knicks opened up enough cap space to offer Morris a one-year, $15 million deal.

The Knicks offered Bullock a lesser deal than his original two-year, $21 million contract. Plantar fasciitis was the ailment that lowered the cap-hit and made Marcus a possibility.

The Knicks have been enamored by the former Celtic for quite some time according to reports. The interest in signing him on a more luxurious one-year deal pried him away from the Spurs, who rescinded their offer and signed another free agent after his hesitancy.

Morris’ toughness and ability in the paint will help a young Knicks team succeed in 2019. He averaged 13.9 points and 6.1 rebounds in 75 games (53 starts) last season. He shot a career-best 44.7 percent from the field as well. He will not only be a factor on the court but a de-facto leader for Barrett, Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson, and Allonzo Trier. This is a big grab for the Knicks.

Who else have the Knicks signed this offseason?

After missing out on Durant, Irving, and Kawhi Leonard, the Knicks went ahead and added Wayne Ellington, Taj Gibson, Julius Randle, Bobby Portis, Elfrid Payton, and now Marcus Morris in free agency.

 

 

 

Are the New York Knicks an underdog for next season?

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New York Knicks

The New York Knicks will enter next season looking different.  The Knicks will be young and fun to watch.

The Knicks projected started lineup will consist of, Dennis Smith Jr., RJ Barrett, Kevin Knox/Reggie Bullock, Julius Randle & Mitchell Robinson.  With that lineup, can the Knicks be considered underdogs for next season?

Without a doubt, yes.

One of the newest New York Knicks, Bobby Portis, also believes so.  Portis posted on instagram a picture of the new members of the Knicks with a optimistic caption.  “Never fall victim to believing what THEY say…just go to work! The only way, the #UNDERDOG way!! Let’s get it NYC (Statue of liberty and apple emoji) #KNICKSTAPE blessed (emojis).”

In addition to all the new players that were added, the estimated win total for the Knicks next season would add 22 wins.  So, take the 16 wins from last season, add those 22 and the Knicks are at 38 wins.  In the East, they could be looking at sneaking into the 7th or 8th seed.

The Knicks are going to be young, fun, aggressive and ready to make some noise under David Fizdale.  If the Knicks are able to learn to play together & buy into Fizdale’s philosophy, then they can certainly be like the Orlando Magic from last season.  The Knicks are going to be fun to watch next season, despite losing out on all big free agents.