The approach teams take in free agency can ultimately be the deciding factor in finding success the following season or failing and having to hit the restart button. The New York Knicks chose a path, one that avoided Kevin Durant and other superstars, maybe because they knew nobody was willing to buy in, however, they did manage to secure several quality veterans.
Options like Julius Randle and Marcus Morris, two efficient players that are capable scorers, were brought in to help transform the starting lineup. Last season, the Knicks essentially fielded a day-care, recording just 17 wins — the worst record in basketball.
The number of signings they made this offseason nearly equate the amount of wins they had, but one offseason can do a lot to the production of a team, and that leads us to our question.
Can the New York Knicks make the playoffs in 2019?
The answer to this question lies in the hands of head coach David Fizdale and whether or not he’s willing to utilize the veterans on the team over the youth players in need of minutes. Second-year players like Kevin Knox, Allonzo Trier, Damyean Dotson, and even Mitchell Robinson could lose significant playing time to the new signings, but that’s ultimately the process of development.
At some point, the organization was going to have to test the mental strength of their young players, and creating position battles is the perfect way to extract that potential. The more experienced options give the Knicks a better chance at making the playoffs, but I anticipate Fizdale creating a functioning balance.
Giving the Knicks the best chance to win will boil down to playing the right players at the right times, as there are so many different skill-sets that can be utilized. The surplus of power forwards will be helpful around the rim, and shooters like Trier will be essential to the success of the team. I wonder if Fiz will look to set different lineups for specific matchups and rotate players to fit schematic advantages.
The bottom line is, the playoffs might be a stretch in year two of a full rebuild, but it’s quickly becoming more of a possibility.