Before the Coronavirus postponed all NBA games until further notice, the New York Knicks were among the worst teams in the league for the sixth straight (2014-2020) season. There weren’t a lot of bright points to look back on in the 2019-20 season, David Fizdale was fired on December 18th, 2019. When Fizdale was fired, the Knicks record was 4-18. The Knicks once again were the laughing stock of the NBA and tied their worst record in franchise history.Â
What the Knicks need to do first this offseason
This offseason for the Knicks needs to be the year of change. The first area of Knicks basketball that needs fixing is the culture. Although, this doesn’t mean the Knicks need to make the playoffs next year. The culture of Knicks basketball needs to improve starting with the front office. During the 2019-20 season, the Knicks parted ways with former president Steve Mills and recently brought in Leon Rose as the new team president.
Could Rose be the missing puzzle piece?
Leon Rose will overlook all basketball operations and personnel for the team. Rose has an impressive resume, he has been one of the top NBA agents for decades. With that being said, some of his clients: Chris Paul, Joel Embiid, Devin Booker, Carmelo Anthony, Kyle Kuzma, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Lebron was even a former client. Eventually, Rose could bring a superstar to New York, something the Knicks have tried to do the last couple of seasons but have never had success.
Could a veteran point-guard help the Knicks?
The point guard position could be the most important part of creating a good team, a point guard is the leader on the court and runs the offense. Furthermore, Point Guard has been a position of need for the knicks for a long time. Also, Rose could make a big-time move and sign a veteran point guard like Chris Paul. CP3 is one of the best point guards in the league, they don’t call him the point-god for no reason. Paul is an all-around player, he can shoot, dribble between defenders, and feed his teammates with the craziest passes. in the light of this, if the Knicks could add a guard like Paul that would for sure change the way people view the Knicks. With RJ Barrett at the two and Paul at the one, this could create a lethal duo.
Could the Knicks draft a Point-guard in this year’s draft?
The 2020 NBA Draft class has some talent at the point guard position. For example, two guys that stand out are LaMelo Ball and Cole Anthony. If the Knicks could land one of these guys in the draft it would hopefully solve their guard problems. Ball and Anthony are both explosive and creative playmakers in their own ways.
Knicks need a head coach who can change the culture
There are a lot of coaches out there that could be an awesome fit as the new head coach but no one would be better than Tom Thibodeau. Tom is one of those guys who present is felt no matter where he is on the court, he is truly one of a kind. To illustrate, Thibodeau would bring back the 1990s New York Knicks, Tom is a defensive-minded head coach. Notably, Thibodeau’s Chicago teams were ranked amongst the top 10 defensive ratings in four of five years he was the head coach. The Knicks in the 2019-20 season ranked among some of the worst teams in defensive ratings, Thibodeau could change that.
The Knicks desperately need to changes things around this offseason, if they don’t it’ll be a repeat of years past. Free agency this summer could be huge for the Knicks as well, Rose could pull his weight and finally bring another all-star player to NY.