Taj Gibson

New York Knicks: Mitchell Robinson is the future of the franchise

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New York Knicks, Mitchell Robinson

While drafting Kevin Knox and RJ Barrett in the first rounds of the past two NBA Drafts automatically puts more expectation on their shoulders, New York Knicks second-year center Mitchell Robinson is taking advantage of the lack of pressure.

With everyone so focused on how Barrett will perform in 2019 and if he can live up to his potential, Robinson has sat quietly in the background excelling at everything he does. In fact, he could very well break out next season after a solid rookie campaign. He was recently added to the USA Select Team along with 24-year-old teammate Julius Randle.

Having a center as your best player is a rarity in the modern-day NBA, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. Eerily similar to Clint Capela, Robinson is raw in his abilities and focuses on the basics – jumping, running, and dunking with ferocity. Having quality footwork and different inside moves are all a work in progress, but he’s developing them and those new skills will play an important part in his future success.

The next step Robinson is looking to take is to add a three-point shot to his repertoire, something he utilized in high school ball. Aside from Mitchell’s tangible traits, his intangibles are excellent. A calming presence in the locker room and a good person off the court, he’s built for the New York media and handling the criticism that ultimately comes with it.

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The hope is that he can continue to improve and develop a positive relationship with the fan base. Confidence is an important thing in NY — as quickly as you gained it you can lose it overnight. The fans and analysts are vicious, but if you can excel, there isn’t a better place to play in the world.

The Knicks brought in 10-year veteran Taj Gibson to help mentor Robinson and teach him the intricacies of the game. The center is only going into his second season, which attests to the massive ceiling he theoretically has.

Grading the New York Knicks offseason acquisitions

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New York Knicks sign Julius Randle.

The New York Knicks certainly made a splash in free agency, all without signing a superstar player to help rebuild the franchise from the ground up. With the amount of youth featuring on the team, it was essential head coach David Fizdale injected some veteran leadership into the starting team and roster-depth.

Here are the grades for the New York Knicks signings:

Marcus Morris: B

Averaging 13.9 points per game last season, Morris puts up solid numbers on the offensive side of the ball, however, he’s a bully in the paint and can also drain threes (.375% in 2018). My concern with Morris is that he will burry Kevin Knox on the bench and will take essential playing time away from the second-year player.

Competition is part of the game, though, so Knox will have to stand up to the challenge and play his best basketball.

Julius Randle: B+

At just 24-years-old, Randle is an up and coming athlete that averaged 21.4 points per game and 8.7 total rebounds per game last year. He’s an above-average player and will likely be the most influential and impactful signing the Knicks make this year.

As a natural power forward, he will slot right into the starting role. The issue is his defense, as he seems to be lazy at times and will let offensive-minded players take advantage of that weakness. That’s a part of his game he must work on.

Wayne Ellington: C+

The Knicks needed to add shooters badly after an extremely rough offensive outing in 2018 as a whole. A solid shooter from three (.371% in 2018), Ellington can make an impact in a hurry on offense. He averaged a bit over 23 minutes per game last year, making him a capable rotational player.

He has value on offense, something the Knicks desperately needed to assist this offseason.

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Elfrid Payton: C

Payton is a decent player, but the Knicks are still looking to start Dennis Smith Jr. who’s been working tirelessly on his perimeter shot with shooting coach Keith Smart in Westchester. Elfrid can be a suitable backup for Smith Jr., but his presence pushes Frank Ntilikina back on the depth chart.

It seems as if the Frenchman has seen his last starting opportunity in the Big Apple. Averaging 10.6 points per game from Payton should be good for the offense.

Taj Gibson: B

I love this signing, as he will be the primary mentor for Mitchell Robinson. The 10-year veteran center can instill some important knowledge into the young player, something he will need to take his game to the next level.

Playing in 24 minutes per game last season, Gibson still has some juice left in the tank, but I imagine him playing a secondary role in 2019-20 while the Knicks stick with Bobby Portis and Robinson at the center spot.

Bobby Portis: B-

The Knicks brought in Portis to essentially compete with Robinson for the big-man spot. Portis played 77 percent of his minutes at center last season, which will give him the upper hand in securing the role. The only issue is his defense, which is utterly terrible.

He’s a solid scorer averaging 14.3 points per game last year, but he averaged less defensive rebounds than Julius Randle at 6.4. I anticipate Robinson earning more playing time, but we can’t rule out Portis as a potential starter.

Reggie Bullock: C

We likely won’t see Bullock for quite some time after having a cervical herniated disk operation. The recovery time is about six months before he can even participate in physical contact drills.

Being that he will likely make a very minimal impact at most on next season, the $4 million he will earn will have been an absolute waste. The Knicks struck out big time with Bullock who will have to fight the team option next year.

 

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.

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: Charles Oakley grades Knicks free agent signings

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New York Knicks, Charles Oakley

The New York Knicks signed a ton of free agents this offseason, including Marcus Morris, Julius Randle, Wayne Ellington, Elfrid Payton, Reggie Bullock, and Taj Gibson.

The talent they added will certainly help the success of the team and surpass the 17-win mark. Last season, the roster was built through youth and inexperience, but an influx in veteran talent should give the Knicks a better chance at being competitive.

However, their free agent signing spree has likely come to an end, and it’s time to reflect on the quality of the new players on the roster.

Former Knick, Charles Oakley, gave his opinion on the matter and what grades he would give the signings:

“Do they have an ‘A’ player on this team? I don’t think so,” Oakley told reporters after the Big-3 tournament at the Barclays Center on Sunday. “They maybe got one ‘B’ and a lot of ‘Cs.’”

Failing to lure Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to Mecca of basketball surely doesn’t promote the current management or ownership, but it seems as if they never wanted Durant all along due to his injury. Whether or not I believe that is a different story.

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Oakley did say in regards to the Nets:

“They hit the Mega Millions and the Powerball,” he said.

James Dolan’s influence on the team surely steered players away that were looking for a safe and fun place to enjoy their prime years. The Knicks always seem to be a whirlwind of drama and unnecessary attention. The fact they managed to pry Morris away from the San Antonio Spurs and Gregg Popovich is mind-blowing. We can cough that up to an extra $5 million on a one-year deal.

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Despite the Knicks striking out on big-name free agents, they structured the contracts of their signings very efficiently. A majority of the players are on two-year deals with a team option after the first, allowing them to shed cap allocations and open up space for more influential players.

In the meantime, they will look to be a competitive team in 2019.

 

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.