Everything's Working out for New York Knicks to Win from Their Losing
The New York Knicks are in the midst of what could end up as their worst season in franchise history, but as far as their rebuild is concerned, things are actually going quite well.
With Phil Jackson, Derek Fisher and Carmelo Anthony—the three organizational foundations of the team—all on five-year contracts, this was a long-term project from the start. While 2014-15 has been awful in a vacuum, it has actually set the Knicks up nicely to start building a quality roster this summer.
Having recorded just 10 wins in 53 games, New York is the worst team in the NBA (albeit by a small margin), and at this rate will have the top seed in the 2015 draft lottery. This is the first time in years that the Knicks have been bad enough to get such a good pick—and have actually kept a hold of said pick—giving them a chance to escape the cycle of mediocrity much of James Dolan's time as owner has been.
Of course, the original plan was to make a splash in free agency, attracting big stars who would turn the Knicks into immediate contenders, but that's unlikely to happen. Because the Knicks are at such an early stage in their rebuild, making blockbuster signings is going to be difficult, but that isn't an entirely negative thing.
For starters, building almost exclusively through free agency (especially top level free agents) isn't sustainable, as we've learned from the Knicks' own failed attempts over the last decade. They'll now be forced to go after younger players, and make smarter signings with the aim of building an organic roster as opposed to just sticking stars together and hoping their talent alone will make it work. Following in the footsteps of the Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors, they should prioritize a player's fit as much as their perceived talent, without overspending.
The Knicks are still set up for success in free agency, as there is plenty of mid-level talent out there that will fit nicely with Carmelo Anthony. With roughly $27 million to spend, it's definitely realistic that two quality starters could be picked up along with whoever they draft.
Admittedly, the events of the trade deadline have reduced the number of options available to the Knicks this summer. Potential targets Goran Dragic, Brandon Knight and Reggie Jackson are all in new situations they could very well opt to stay in when free agency comes around.
Even so, the Knicks can make a serious run at the likes of Tobias Harris, Draymond Green, Robin Lopez, Omer Asik, Thaddeus Young, Wesley Matthews and Greg Monroe with their current financial situation.
Returning to the draft, the Knicks have been tanking exceptionally well off the court, as well as on the court, in recent months. After trading J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Pablo Prigioni, buying out Amar'e Stoudemire and allowing Carmelo Anthony to sit out the rest of the season, they've maximised their chances of losing their way to the top draft seed in the second half.
It's not guaranteed by any means, especially if the Philadelphia 76ers and Minnesota Timberwolves have anything to say about it, but you can't fault the moves Jackson has made to try to make it happen.
Depleting the roster of veterans also has the added bonus of letting New York get a better look at some of its younger pieces. They may not be talented enough to rack up wins on their own, but there are definitely players here who can contribute long term as cheap role players. Regardless of their financial situation, players like that are valuable to any team.
We've already seen the Knicks sign Langston Galloway for next season, and they could certainly do worse for the minimum salary than to re-sign Cole Aldrich and Quincy Acy, and keep Tim Hardaway Jr. and Cleanthony Early on their rookie scale contracts.
Though it's been far from enjoyable to watch, such a terrible season is almost a necessity to let the Knicks truly hit the reset button. Now they have a chance to add a building block in the draft and a couple more in free agency, setting them up nicely to put together something special in the foreseeable future.
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