Wayne Ellington

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.

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 could still find trade partner for Frank Ntilikina

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New York Knicks, Frnak Ntilikina

Where will Frank Ntilikina end up after a busy offseason for the New York Knicks?

The Knicks didn’t hold back this offseason from bringing in a plethora of new talent to help supplement the failure of missing out on Kevin Durant and others. Players like Julius Randle and Marcus Morris headline the free agent grabs, but the roster has gotten awfully crowded at certain positions.

Specifically, the point guard spot is now flush full of options — Dennis Smith Jr., Kadeem Allen, Elfrid Payton, and Frank Ntilikina.

The Frenchman has struggled to reach his potential after two seasons in the NBA. His defense is solid but his offensive production has lacked. Averaging just 5.9 points per game after two seasons is disappointing, and despite the offseason videos of him heaving up shots, Ntilikina seems to falter every time he featured on an NBA court.

Frank’s name floated around in the rumor mill prior to the start of free agency this year, and while he’s emerged unscathed, there’s still reason to believe he could be traded. Whether or not he has a future with the Knicks is undetermined, but considering he’s likely a third-stringer at this point, they might be better off trading him for draft value.

A team looking for a talented defender with promise could be a trade target, but convincing them of this would be the hurdle.

Smith Jr. and Payton offer the most value at the point guard position, as both are offensively fueled. Kadeem Allen has also shown he can provide value in short bursts. A two-way contract put the Knicks in an advantageous position.

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What else could the New York Knicks do with Frank Ntilikina?

Alternatively, the Knicks could try and move Ntilikina to a different position, but the reality is, there’s nowhere to really put him. With the drafting of RJ Barrett, signing of Wayne Ellington and Reggie Bullock, finding a spot for Frank beyond the PG position is nearly impossible.

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Head coach David Fizdale used the Frenchman in the 3 at times, utilizing his defense primarily, trying to take the ball out of his hands. That’s the role I anticipate he will feature in more and more as his offense dwindles. What Ntilikina offers simply isn’t enough to garner starting minutes, but a team looking for an above-average defender might be willing to part ways with a second-round pick — in that case, the Knicks should send him on his way before it’s too late.

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.

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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.