SPANISH HARLEM – Football is right around the corner and Baseball is winding down but of course I will write about the New York Knicks. Why, you may ask? Because someone needs to talk about the Knicks and that guy is me. So sit back and enjoy another article about New York’s favorite basketball team. We will discuss the 3 most important areas that fans so really focus on this upcoming season.
Development
David Fizdale will have his hands full this upcoming season and while most fans realize this team is a couple seasons away from contending, the development of their young players will be key in making this team good again. It will be important for Fizdale to enhance the abilities of players like Frank Ntilikina, Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson for the Knicks to take a step forward in the right direction. Much has been said about the rift between Marc Gasol and Fizdale, as Gasol was the main reason he was fired in Memphis but he was and still is a highly regarded coach by many of the players he has coached before combing to New York.
Frank Ntilikina may be just as important as the players recently drafted, as he was not very good on offense last season and many will look to Fizdale to develop that aspect of his game. If the coach can get the most out of Frank, then it will help justify the pick that many pundits disagreed with at the time of the draft. At this time, the position of strength has not been labeled on Ntilikina but he was considered the point guard of the future and if he can show that ability, it will make the organizations decisions going forward a lot easier.
Be Competitive
One place to start with is defense, as the Knicks have been one of the worst defensive teams in the league the last few years. Management has stated that defense was a key aspect that they wanted to develop with this group in the past so it’s no surprise that they brought in a new coach that fits that mold. Great organizations understand the value of defense and the Knicks want to do the same with this young group.
Fizdale has stated in prior interviews that he wants the Knicks to run more in transition and that’s starts with defensive stops. The coach wants to get as many easy point as possible since the Knicks are not offensively gifted at any position with Kristaps Porzingis out. The Knicks will struggle to score at times and having a better defensive team will keep them in games and allow them to play competitive basketball.
Health (Most Specifically Kristaps Porzingis)
As many of you know by now, the PorzinGod is still rehabbing from surgery to the ACL and MCL. What we don’t know is when Porzingis will be back with the team, if at all this season. The logical choice would be to let the doctors decide when KP is 100% but as we have seen with the Kawhi Leonard saga from last season, is that the player has input as well. If Porzingis is healthy he has stated that he wants to play this season but the organization will make the decision for him. In my Opinion, this franchise will need to show potential free agents that their franchise player is healthy and ready to go. It will be a tough decision for Fizdale and the Knicks but they understand that having a healthy KP will go a long way in attracting free agents and possibly Kyrie Irving.
With the Knicks getting younger and the expected development to take its course, this young cast will have to play a lot minutes. Keeping everyone healthy is one thing that Fizdale will not take likely, he wants them to play and earn their minutes but he also needs them on the court for them to improve. As fans we want to see the best players play but we must also understand that it’s more important they play the whole season.
That’s it. Leave a comment and come back tomorrow for something stellar again. Also, you can find us on Twitter @BuddyDiaz19, @MeetTheMatts & @Matt_McCarthy00, Instagram @MeetTheMatts and like our Facebook pages, Meet The Matts & Buddy Diaz.
