The New York Knicks are completely dysfunctional. The only positive thing that they have going for them is their young players. The Knicks have a lot of pieces that could put them in the correct spot for the future.
A franchise can’t be good unless they are patient with their players. The Knicks have been patient with players in recent memory. For instance, Frank Ntilikina, Mitchell Robinson, Kevin Knox. And when they had him, Kristaps Porzingis.
Young players need time to develop. In time, those players show some competence then a team can have a chance at free agents. The Knicks were unable to do that last off-season but were able to keep their young assets.
Fans were upset over the Kristaps Porzingis and Frank Ntilikina selections at the time. Porzingis blossomed into a superstar and Ntilikina is finally becoming a vital role player for the Knicks, after 3 years. Recently, the Knicks drafted RJ Barrett. He’s only 19-years-old and already showing signs that he could be a star for the Knicks down-the-line.
Despite all the turmoil with the front office and coaching, the Knicks are trying to build something. Robinson, Barrett and Ntilikina continue to grow, on their way to being above-average players. Kevin Knox continues to need more time but displayed glimpses of his progression over his rookie year, especially in shooting.
The New York Knicks will most likely have another top-5 draft pick next summer. They’ll have another top pick to develop along with their other projects. The Knicks will have a lot of young players that could be good, in time. Patience with player development is needed now.
Also, the Knicks have a lot of veteran players that could be on the trading block. Marcus Morris, Taj Gibson even Julius Randle. Trade those players for younger assets and/or picks. Randle most likely won’t be on the block but if they could get something positive for him, it should be discussed.
After some of the veteran guys are gone, the Knicks must only play the young players. Then, they’ll have more then enough time to time to develop and get the experience to become something. This season is rough and most likely next year will be too. But, it’s something they Knicks have to do.
The future of the Knicks should consist of Barrett, Robinson, Ntilikina, Knox and the upcoming top-5 selection.