Owner James Dolan, former team president Phil Jackson and former franchise player, Carmelo Anthony. Can't really argue with that list, right?
Dolan is notorious for meddling in player personnel decisions; Jackson signed a broken-down, washed-up Joakim Noah for 4 years and $72 million, and Melo passed the ball once in 7 seasons in a Knick uniform. These are legitimate scapegoats.
But things are (very) slowly changing in the big city. New team president Steve Mills -- at the very least -- makes some logical moves. He seems to have some semblance of a big-picture plan. Let's take a look at some of his early bright spots...
PART 1: THE NEW ADMINISTRATION'S DEFENSIBLE MOVES
1. Trading Melo for Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott and second-round pick.
Obviously Melo was the biggest name in the deal, but at the time I texted my buddies that Kanter could easily be the best player of the three. Melo's slow-but-permanent decline was already under way, and Kanter has always showcased tremendous hands and finishing ability around the rim. He's a coordinated big with solid post moves and a knack for offensive rebounding.
I was lucky enough to select Kanter in my fantasy draft, and he was a pleasure throughout the season. He played 71 games in a year where dozens of key players were over-rested, while averaging 14.1 points and 11 rebounds per game. His percentages were fantastic: 59.2% from the field and 84.8% at the charity stripe (a career high).
Melo, on the other hand, tanked a promising OKC team. He shot just 40.4% from the floor and 35.7% beyond the arc, then proceeded to implode in the playoffs. Melo was the worst defender to touch the floor in the postseason, and to be honest, he wasn't much better offensively. He averaged just 11.8 PPG while shooting an embarrassing 37.5%. He didn't want to accept a bench role from Billy Donovan, and the Thunder were promptly bounced by the unselfish Utah Jazz.
I defended Melo while in Denver, but he was completely cancerous for New York and OKC. Kanter was the best player in the deal, but simply getting rid of Melo was a win in itself.
2. Trading McDermott and a second-rounder for Emmanuel Mudiay.
So basically Mills traded Melo for Kanter and Mudiay. Can't beat that, right?
Mudiay was the 7th overall pick in the 2015 draft, but he never quite panned out for the Nuggets. He doesn't project as a future superstar, but this was a classic why not? move by Mills. Mudiay's field goal percentage jumped throughout his Nuggets tenure, from 36.4 to 37.7 to 38.8 to 40.1. The same for three-pointers, from 31.5 to 31.8 to 37.3.
Outside shooting was always a concern with him, but his stroke isn't that bad. He has the potential to improve, which he has already shown in small increments. His per-game averages dipped because of the emergence of Jamal Murray, but overall this was a low-risk move for the Knicks. I actually wrote about this deal when it happened.
Big picture, Mudiay was brought in to push Frank Ntilikina at the point guard position. So was the next kid on my list. Ntilikina was a Jackson guy; Mills is bringing in his guys to compete.
3. Signing Trey Burke off the scrap heap.
This was similar to the Nets' move for Spencer Dinwiddie, but not quite as successful. Burke was a fantastic collegiate guard and NCAA Tournament champion with the Michigan Wolverines, but his pro career has been far less fruitful. His aggressive, score-first offensive style didn't mesh with the Jazz or Wizards, so he ended up down in the G-League.
But the Knicks snatched him up at exactly the right time. In 36 games in the blue and orange, Burke scored double-digits 23 times. He had 10 games of 18 or more, including a jaw-dropping 42-point explosion at the Charlotte Hornets on March 26. How many G-League players can drop 40 in an NBA game?
Clearly Burke didn't belong down on the farm. With New York, he averaged 12.8 points in just 21.8 minutes a night. His 4.7 APG were promising, and it was obvious that the big-city crowd energized him. Mills breathed life into a forgotten young player who was once a highly-touted prospect. Burke is hungry to stick around in the NBA this time.
Burke is probably a little better and more confident than Mudiay, which means he deserves to be the Knicks' starting point guard to begin the 2018-19 campaign. Ntilikina has a long way to go.
4. Signing free agent Mario Hezonja.
"Super" Mario can play ball. On nights when Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon and/or Evan Fournier were out for the Magic, Mario was The Man. In February, he posted three consecutive 20-point games (23, 24 and 21). Hezonja has unlimited range and a pretty stroke, and he won't hesitate to pump and take it to the rack. He's just 23 years old, and he'll have plenty of on-court opportunities this season. With Kristaps Porzingis out until at least February, New York will be getting a good, long look at Hezonja.
Shout to my great friend Jimmy Kelly who texted me, "The Knicks continue to stack young, top-10 picks that never did anything." We see that here with Mudiay, Burke, Hezonja and the next man up...
5. Signing free agent Noah Vonleh.
Vonleh, the 9th overall pick in the 2014 draft, is still just 22 years old. He's a long, rangy athlete with plus rebounding ability, though the rest of his game leaves a lot to be desired. The youngster can knock down a triple from the corner, but his overall offensive game is limited at this early stage in his pro career.
However, Vonleh has some potential as a two-way bench player. His physical gifts should allow him to mature as a defender, and his rebounding and occasional threes are useful on a light, rebuilding team like the Knicks.
Between Mudiay, Burke, Hezonja and Vonleh, even if one of them emerges as a legit long-term producer, you've gained a lot without risking much here. All of these moves make logical sense to me.
6. Hiring David Fizdale as head coach.
To be honest, I thought Jeff Hornacek did a pretty solid job. Prior to Porzingis' devastating injury, Hornacek had the Knicks playing good, team-first basketball. Jarrett Jack is washed up, but he was piling up assists, while Courtney Lee and Tim Hardaway, Jr. provided the necessary floor spacing. Above all else, Porzingis and Kanter were the keys to the Knicks' early season success.
Unfortunately, Porzingis went down and everything changed. Obviously, such a light team couldn't win without its star player. Then Hornacek had to deal with Noah's shitty attitude, which was unfair because Jackson saddled him with that problem from the get-go. Hornacek definitely got a raw deal; but hey, that's life in the big city.
Which leads us to Fizdale. He was an elite assistant coach for the world-champion Heat, as well as a playoff head coach with the Grizzlies. I like his passion, and I think he understands the rapidly-evolving nature of the NBA: Run-and-gun, 3-and-D, pass-and-cut, space the floor and switch everything.
I kind of feel like that's why he had issues with Marc Gasol in Memphis. Gasol is a very good all-around center, but he's a big, lumbering guy. That simply isn't the norm in the game right now. Look at the Warriors with Draymond Green occupying most of the key minutes at the center position. Clint Capela is fast, lean, long and athletic. Karl-Anthony Towns can dribble like a point guard. Anthony Davis can dunk from the three-point line. You get the idea.
So, I think that's what Fizdale was rebelling against in Memphis. He was looking for faster, more versatile and athletic lineup combinations with JaMychal Green getting some minutes at the 5-spot. It was a horrible political move on Fizdale's part -- obviously, that is Gasol's team to manipulate -- but I can sort of understand the basketball logic. Or the organizational culture logic.
But now the Knicks are his team. And he is Mills' coach. More so than anything else, this represents a clean slate and fresh start for both shot-callers.
7. Drafting both Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson.
Talk about rave early reviews. Knox was one of the all-around darlings of Summer League, and Robinson is drawing comparisons to another sleeper who made good, Hassan Whiteside.
Knox just looks the part. He's one of those kids; he just fits the mold of the way people wanna play these days. He's long, athletic, rangy, bouncy and can shoot the trey. He's a problem for opposing defenses in transition. Most importantly...the kid wants the ball. He's not interested in sitting around and "waiting his turn" (a la Ntilikina). Knox wants the rock, and he wants to chuck that thing up in the air. I think he'll get all the minutes he can handle as a rookie.
Robinson -- considering the comparison to Whiteside -- you can probably figure out what type of player he is. He's an athletic eraser. You ain't comin' in his paint. Early on he's been a shotblocking machine, and of course the Knicks hope he'll catch-and-finish like Capela, DeAndre Jordan and my Nets' Jarrett Allen. If Mills and Fizdale can keep Robinson out of trouble off the court, he should be a key reserve on the court.
If I were Fizdale, this would be my rotation:
C - Kanter
PF - Knox
SF - Hezonja
SG - Lee
PG - Burke
6th - Hardaway Jr.
7th - Mudiay
8th - Robinson
9th - Ntilikina
10th - Vonleh
PART II: IS THE CAVALRY ON THE WAY?
By now I think everyone has heard the rumors...
Are Kyrie Irving and Jimmy Butler eventually headed to New York?
Butler declined Minnesota's generous extension offer, and we all know Kyrie's out for himself. Things are getting awfully crowded in Boston with Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, Gordon Hayward, Terry Rozier and Marcus Smart.
Is Kyrie secretly concerned about becoming another face in the crowd?
He didn't like when LeBron James took all of the credit in Cleveland. Now the Celtics went to the Eastern Conference Finals without him. Hayward is back this year, and Kyrie didn't have to share any minutes with him last year.
Don't forget the fact that Kyrie is a local boy. He played for West Orange (New Jersey) in high school. He's already turned himself into a (shitty) movie star. Wouldn't he love the bright lights of New York? Wouldn't he want the credit for turning a floundering franchise around?
I'm starting to think all of these arguments have legs. The East is wide open now. A year ago I would have said no chance. Why deal with LeBron, the Raptors and up-and-coming Sixers with a suspect supporting cast in New York?
But, as I've documented here, that's slowly changing. Mills is adding talent. In 2019-20, Porzingis is expected to be at 100% health. That gives you the potential for Porzingis, Kyrie, Butler, Knox, Robinson and other interesting, cheaper talents.
That doesn't sound half-bad. Especially with LeBron in Los Angeles. Especially if you take Kyrie's talent off the Celtics' roster.
Is it almost time for The Garden to come alive again?
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