[Previews 2020/21] New York is moving slowly but surely

Like every year, Basket USA offers a presentation of the NBA season and the 30 franchises in the form of a countdown, from the 30th place to our favorite for the title of NBA champion. After Cleveland and Detroit, another eastern franchise in reconstruction: the Knicks.

The construction site has fallen behind at Big Apple: the club has not known the playoffs for seven years now. After Phil Jackson and the Steve Mills / Scott Perry duo, owner James Dolan decided to hand over the management of the team to Leon Rose at the start of the year, who has since hired Tom Thibodeau to take care of it on the floor, then selected Obi Toppin for the Draft, and that’s about it: we are leaving slowly but surely in New York.

NEW FOUNDATIONS TO LAY

The Knicks decided to change their strategy by firing David Fizdale and then Steve Mills, before appointing Leon Rose and Tom Thibodeau, with the hope of finally being able to lay a solid foundation. Despite his inexperience, Leon Rose is a respected former NBA agent, and Tom Thibodeau has the kidneys to take the pressure.

The new president has shown that he wants to take his time: he has stayed out of the big transfers (Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, John Wall), has not been mad about the “free agency” (Gordon Hayward or Fred VanVleet) and managed to grab some future Draft picks. Admittedly, the Knicks have a hard time seducing anyway, but you can always do silly things, especially in Gotham, and he avoided them.

The main recruits are the two rookies selected in the first round: Kentucky combo guard Immanuel Quickley in 25th position, and New Yorker Obi Toppin in 8th, best player of the last university season. They join RJ Barrett, Frank Ntilikina, Mitchell Robinson, Dennis Smith Jr. or even Kevin Knox in the group of young talents of the club. Former assistant to John Calipari in Kentucky, Kenny Payne joined the Knicks and will be invaluable to his young people, he who already knows Quickley, Knox, but also Randle and Noel.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THIS SEASON?

Seasoned coach Tom Thibodeau returns to New York, where he worked between 1996 and 2003, with a rebuilding project he is not used to, but which he experienced in Minnesota as president / coach. It was a roller coaster ride: a first season with 31 wins, a second in the playoffs with the reinforcement of Jimmy Butler, and a third ended prematurely in chaos.

It will only be on the edge of the field in New York, not in the offices, with the mission to give a true identity of play to this squad. This will undoubtedly be defense-oriented, which is invaluable for all these young players in search of benchmarks, but it is also necessary to set up an attack that is part of this modern basketball that the technician has difficulty in apprehend. Mike Woodson is returning to town after four years with the Clippers to give him a hand.

The goal? Find an alchemy on both sides of the field to hope to get something out of this group which asks only to progress and which will save its confidence by relying on the collective. The rookies, but also RJ Barrett, Frank Ntilikina, Dennis Smith Jr. or Kevin Knox need to be able to blend into this one to avoid too much staring from the New York press and hatch more serenely. While Mitchell Robinson must continue to progress in the racket with this starting place waiting for him.

We can regret the lack of veterans in the squad: Julius Randle, Austin Rivers and Alec Burks have to take on this role, but they are rather known to love the ball and are only 26, 28 and 29 years old. The return of Taj Gibson, for example, would have made it possible to make the relay between the most tender and a coach of the authoritarian genre. “Thibs” will therefore have to be patient with these young people who are given the keys to the team while waiting for the next offseason: the previous management had favored short contracts in order to keep financial flexibility and the franchise only asks for to spend his dollars. Maybe next summer if the franchise’s reputation improves.

In the meantime, Tom Thibodeau will have to juggle a very unbalanced workforce, without an indisputable titular leader and with a Julius Randle / Obi Toppin duo who may find it difficult to coexist …

THE SUMMER MOVEMENTS

Arrivals : Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley, Austin Rivers (Rockets), Alec Burks (Warriors), Nerlens Noel (Knicks), Jacob Evans (Timberwolves), Omari Spellman (Timberwolves).

Departures : Bobby Portis (Bucks), Wayne Ellington (Pistons), Maurice Harkless (Heat), Damyean Dotson (Cavaliers), Taj Gibson.

THE PLAYER TO WATCH: OBI TOPPIN

Interest is limited in New York for the coming season and in the absence of big recruits, everyone will have their eyes on Obi Toppin, prototype of the modern strong-winger with his 2m06 for 100kg, selected in 8th position during the last Draft.

Star in Dayton, the Brooklyn native hit the college trophies with his 20 points and 7.5 rebounds average, winning the Naismith Trophy, the John R. Wooden Award, and being voted National Player of the Year of the ‘Associated Press, like Zion Williamson in 2019. And like the Pelican, his physical qualities and his game make him very spectacular, which should please fans and give them a little balm to their hearts.

His defense, on the other hand, could make some of them angry, and it is Tom Thibodeau’s great challenge to make him a complete player. He will obviously be very watched, and he will have to resist New York pressure by keeping reasonable goals. The other young people of the team could take the opportunity to evolve a little more serenely in his shadow, RJ Barrett in the lead, he who is still frustrated by his non-selection in the All-Rookie Teams.

AVERAGE AGE: 24.1 years
SALARY MASS: 90.3 million (29th out of 30)

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