The current average age of the New York Knicks is 24.8 years old. The Knicks have a young nucleus with a couple of productive vets in the group. This team is reasonably balanced in terms of youth and experience. However, the young core is underrated as expected due to last season’s poor record.
There’s a massive misunderstanding regarding the New York Knicks last season, and it’s a 17-65 record which was good for last place in the league. Many said the Knicks were dysfunctional last season. Many also said the Knicks were a G-League team. But folks tend to forget the whole point of last season’s struggles were for developmental purposes, a crack at a high lottery draft pick, and some luck in free agency especially after the cap space clearing Porzingis blockbuster trade that shook the league late last January.
The Knicks acquired Dennis Smith Jr, DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews, and two future first-round picks in the deal, while also sending guards Tim Hardaway Jr, Trey Burke and Courtney Lee to the Dallas Mavericks. Ron Baker was waived, and Enes Kanter was released. The roster was gutted, and players with no chemistry were going out on the court and gaining invaluable NBA experience against other teams.
Fizdale had the young, unfamiliar group playing hard last season; however, most nights the talent of the opposition would be too much for the raw Knicks to handle. Last season was more about the big picture than it was about getting actual wins and David Fizdale let media members know exactly that during last season’s final press conference after losing to the 8th seed Detroit Pistons.
The underrated young nucleus of Dennis Smith Jr, Allonzo Trier, Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson will be improved after going through the fire last season.
Dennis Smith Jr. didn’t even have a full season with Fizdale and the Knicks; therefore, Dennis Smith Jr’s upside is still very high. Unfortunately, Frank Ntilikina had setbacks with injuries last season, but he’s bounced back during the offseason with the French National team.
Adding lottery pick RJ Barrett, second-rounder Ignas Brazdeikis, and a few vets including Julius Randle, and Marcus Morris will actively move the Knicks in the right direction. The rebuild of the New York Knicks will continue to be televised.