It has been a long, tumultuous road for the New York Knicks really for the entire decade. Things looked like they would turn around when they traded for Carmelo Anthony back in 2011, but that never really panned out. Years of being a cellar team in the NBA has led them to high draft picks and tons of cap. This offseason, they may have whiffed on big-name free agents, but they hit in the draft, and thats a good start.
Key Additions: Julius Randle, RJ Barrett
I wouldn’t go as far as to say these are actually key additions, but I feel like Knicks fans would go nuts if I didn’t mention at least one of these guys. The New York Knicks signed Julius Randle a massive 3 year, $62.1 Million dollar deal this offseason. Was he worth all that money? Maybe not. Was this a panic move because they whiffed on guys like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving? Maybe. But last year in New Orleans, he did average 21 points and 9 rebounds a night which isn’t too shabby. He won’t be a go-to guy when you need a bucket, but hopefully he will bring a little consistency to this offense.
RJ Barrett, on the other hand, is the guy in New York now. The keys should be his and he will lead them into whatever kind of future they have. Steve Mills, President of the New York Knicks, may not do a whole lot in terms of building a good roster, but he nailed it here. In his lone season at Duke, he averaged 23 points on 45% shooting, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Those on any team would be solid numbers, but when you play with a guy like Zion Williamson? Those numbers get elevated because you aren’t the number one option. RJ Barrett has a bright future, and a backcourt of Dennis Smith Jr. and RJ Barrett will be fun, while it lasts.
Key Losses: DeAndre Jordan
Say what you want about DeAndre Jordan. This writer happens to really like Jordans game and what he brings to the floor on a night to night basis. He is a hustle rebounder, will get you plenty of rim protection and will throw down just about any lob you throw at him. I see him being a valuable asset for the Brooklyn Nets this upcoming season, but they have a kid named Mitchell Robinson who is practically his clone, so his lost impact won’t be so bad.
Expectation and Prediction
Look, this team is doing in the right way right now. They are building through the draft and acquiring nice, young pieces to serve as their building blocks. Do I think they could be decent in a few years? Absolutely. But come on, they are still the New York Knicks. Don’t go betting the farm on this team to make any noise at all this year, and let’s see where they end up in the lottery come 2020. Vegas has their wins at 27.5. Take the under here, but not by much.
Official Prediction: 25-57
