Debunking New York Knicks Offseason Myths

August is the time of year on the NBA calendar to be outlandish and dream of bright futures.

In other words: It's when "Next year, man" spreads like wildfire among New York Knicks fans.

It's also the time when Knicks fans occupy themselves by arguing over the team's "real problem" and "only solution," as though the franchise could be repaired by changing only one thing.

Let's take a look at some common themes winding their way through the Twitter feeds of Knicks loyalists and the New York City subway system. How much reality is mixed in with the myths?

The Knicks Should Sell the Farm for Kyrie Irving

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Last week, For The Win's Charles Curtis wrote the Knicks should "at least approach" the possibility of trading Frank Ntilikina, Willy Hernangomez and/or future first-round picks for Kyrie Irving.

Irving is thrilling to behold. He mystifies opponents with a hesitation here, a jab-step there and breaks free of defenders for ludicrous layups or effortless three-pointers. 

However, he is also inconsistent. He isn't always reliable outside of Cleveland, where his point differential dipped into into the red last season (minus-0.5). Even at his best, Irving is a disinterested, ineffective defender. His defensive rating ranked 379th in the league in 2016-17, and he allowed opponents to shoot 5.2 percentage points better than their average.

Irving's offensive output may outweigh those concerns, as he averaged a career-best 25.2 points on 47.3 percent shooting, 5.8 assists, 2.5 triples and 1.2 steals last season. As Curtis noted, "And that was all while playing with LeBron James. Imagine what he could do alone, even with some of the younger parts around him in New York." 

However, the notion that Irving will automatically be better when he is not playing alongside one of the finest playmakers in league history is flawed. If anything, the Knicks should wonder whether his performance will suffer without James due to the limitations of his own playmaking abilities.

When the Golden State Warriors shut down the Cavaliers' pick-and-roll and stopped Irving's drives during the 2017 NBA Finals, he badly struggled. His teammates dithered and waited, and Cleveland's static offense only recovered when Irving was resting. James, who ranked fourth in assist points created last season (Irving ranked 19th), was at many times more effective at running the point.

Players do not need to excel at every aspect of the game to be great. The Knicks are short on talent, and Irving certainly has that. But if you're expecting him to boost this team into the Eastern Conference's top tier, you're setting yourself up to be disappointed.

So, yes, Irving could be an improvement to the team, and Ntilikina, Hernangomez and/or first-round picks could be the requisite trade bait. However, team president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry should resist the temptation to go all-in on the 25-year-old.

A franchise in rebuild mode should be wary of trading multiple first-round draft picks—particularly since they're still healing from the last time they recklessly traded picks (for Carmelo Anthony in 2011).

Trading Hernangomez two years before his disgruntled friend, Kristaps Porzingis, could enter free agency might have unforeseen consequences, too.

Passing Over Dennis Smith Jr. Was a Mistake

Sorry, fans of extreme handles, exquisite drives to the basket and phenomenal hops. The Knicks did not draft Dennis Smith Jr., the rookie whose transcendent "Oooh-lawd" near-dunk became one of the hottest highlights of NBA Summer League. The Knicks chose not to bring his explosive offense to New York.

Get over it.

Smith is thrilling to watch even when he misses. That's no reason to start trashing the player the Knicks did pick, Ntilikina, and make wild assumptions that he'll be a disaster before he plays a game in the NBA.

It's also far too early to claim Smith is the guy who will haunt the Knicks' dreams forever—a common sentiment on Twitter during summer league. 

The Knicks may have chosen Ntilikina in part because he was well-suited to fit the triangle offense, but don't hold that against him.

At 19 years old, Ntilikina has uncommon defensive instincts. He also has championship mettle after having played in meaningful games overseas, while DSJ showed less interest at North Carolina State when his team wasn't performing at a high level.

For those reasons alone—not to mention his playmaking ability—Ntilikina deserves a chance to perform before Knicks fans label him a dud in comparison to his splashy competition.

Joakim Noah's Contract Is a Sunk Cost

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OK, this myth might have legs.

After the Knicks signed Joakim Noah to a four-year, $72 million contract last summer, he rewarded them by averaging a dismal 5.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in just 22.1 minutes per game.

The 32-year-old finished 47th among 64 qualified centers in ESPN.com's real plus-minus metric, and he earned a 20-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

However, before hamstring and knee injuries abruptly ended Noah's season in February, he had started to regain his scrappy form. He had five double-digit rebound outings in six games beginning with Christmas Day, and he was back to setting approximately eight million screens per game. 

It appeared as though he was ready to become the emotional leader of the Knicks, but his body was still recovering from nagging injuries sustained months before.

There are still three seasons left on Noah's contract—which Bleacher Report's Dan Favale dubbed the worst at the center position—which makes him nearly impossible to trade for now. On the other hand, it gives him time to redeem himself in his hometown.  

The spirit of the 2013-14 Defensive Player of the Year and on-court leader remains, but his body must be healthy and ready to deliver...after he completes the remainder of his suspension, that is.

The Knicks Have Multiple All-Stars

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The Knicks have roughly one All-Star if they cobble their whole roster together. The closest thing they had last season was Carmelo Anthony, who barely slid in as an alternate and is still likely to be traded despite the inertia throughout July.

In other words, the Knicks are losing their only official All-Star. Just don't tell Tim Hardaway Jr.

When the New York Post's Steve Serby asked Hardaway whether he could be an All-Star, he replied: "I believe I can." He also added, "I believe KP [Kristaps Porzingis] can be an All-Star" as well.

Porzingis was in the Rising Stars game last season and is a budding presence in a weak Eastern Conference. If he asserts himself as the face of the Knicks franchise after an Anthony trade, an All-Star berth is entirely feasible. THJ, meanwhile, wasn't anywhere near All-Star Weekend last season.

To Hardaway's credit, he is leaps and bounds better than he was when then-team president Phil Jackson traded him to Atlanta in 2015.

The Hawks coaching staff molded him from a defensive liability into an asset. He is a strong sharpshooting wing who doesn't fall into the same woeful slumps he once did. He'll now have an opportunity to play his biggest role yet with Melo presumably in front of a new fanbase.

All-Star caliber, though? While it's possible out East, it would be surprising.

Count on the Knicks having one All-Star next season: Porzingis.

The Phil Jackson Myth: Part 1

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Phil Jackson is gone; everything's gonna be great! ... Right?

When the Knicks announced Jackson's departure as team president in June, fans rejoiced. The reaction was appropriate based on what they went through during his three-year tenure, but New York isn't out of the woods just because the Zen Master is gone.

The Knicks were a beleaguered franchise long before Jackson had an opportunity to make the problem worse. They've won all of nine playoff games this century, which is fewer than the number of head coaches (including interims) they've had in the same time.

Prior to Jackson's arrival, they had already traded away stacks of draft picks and signed old, injury-prone point guards to long, cozy contracts as though they were running a greyhound rescue charity.

We're talking about a team whose owner had a beloved Knicks great removed from Madison Square Garden...in the middle of a game...on national television. 

Think Jackson's departure is a fix-all for these not-so-lovable losers? As long as owner James Dolan is the ringleader, the New York Knickerbockers run the risk of being a traveling circus.

The Phil Jackson Myth: Part 2

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Phil Jackson was never a problem!

Once free agency began and the Knicks—sans GM—gave a four-year, $71 million deal to Tim Hardaway Jr., an upswell of smugness arose from some Jackson-supporting fans (or those who suddenly became Phil supporters).

While Jackson's departure won't solve everything, the Hardaway deal added fuel to Twitter fires that blamed media and fans instead of P-Jax himself.

Are you serious?

Put aside the cryptic insulting Tweets about his stars. Put aside the divisiveness he created in his team. Ignore his obsession with the triangle offense. Pretend he didn't meddle and backseat coach. 

You cannot deny Jackson made some of his personnel moves with less deliberation than kids use while trading Halloween candy. The impatient New York fans and media are not the ones who suited up and stripped down 41 different Knicks over the past three seasons.

Add in the players traded and chopped when Jackson first arrived in 2014 and the rotating door gets even further clogged. Jackson is the one who fired two head coaches, including one who had no experience. 

Knicks fans, there is no reason to fight among one another about who is the biggest problem—after all, the franchise has provided several good candidates from which to choose. Multiple parties within the organization are worthy of your disdain. Jackson was a problem, but he certainly isn't the only one.  

Nevertheless, there is always reason for hope. The Mecca isn't the Mecca because of the Knicks. It's not the Mecca because of Madison Square Garden. It's the Mecca because of loyal fans—because of your blazing devotion to basketball despite franchises that insult you and teams that break your hearts every year. 

So keep dreaming, New York Knickerbockers fans. Next year, man.