The Knicks best season in the last 10 years comes to an end after being defeated by the Miami Heat in the second round of the playoffs in six games. The production of this team this year makes me very hopeful for the future but I do believe some changes will need to be made.
The play of Jalen Brunson has been basically a godsend for this Knicks team. The Knicks haven't had solid point guard play in almost decades and Jalen Brunson has been all that and more. Brunson, who should have been an all-star and on the all-NBA team, is also not even in the top 50 player salaries in the NBA, showing how smart the Knicks were when signing him this past offseason.
Hopefully the Knicks will be able to make another splash this offseason like Brunson, but they will need to address some internal issues first. Firstly, the biggest thing everyone is talking about is Julius Randle. Randle obviously had a lackluster playoffs showing no hustle whatsoever, but people are quickly to forget that this guy just made an all-NBA team and was an all-star as well.
I do not sympathize with Randle's awful play in the postseason or lack of hustle as well, but for everyone to just push him out of the door this quickly is unreasonable as well. The only way I would agree from moving on from him was if he was in a blockbuster trade that lands the Knicks a superstar, but aside from this I think he stays.
Next, is re-signing Josh Hart. Hart proved that chemistry is all that matters in the NBA. Once he was acquired from Portland, he fit right in with this Knicks team because of his past connection from Villanova with Jalen Brunson. To keep him and his grind, grit, and hustle on this team is a main thing that the Knicks should be focusing on this offseason.
Thirdly, I don't think its time yet to move on from RJ Barrett. He showed he has what it takes to play big minutes in the playoffs and people forget he is only 22 years old. He was the third overall pick drafted at 19 years old into a city with high expectations. RJ should remain in the orange and blue for the foreseeable future.
Moving onto other free agents around the NBA, the Knicks have a variety of options during this offseason but the major thing that they need to address is acquiring shooters. We saw in the Heat series that without guys that can be consistently draining shots, your team has no chance and that was the Knicks.
Thinking in the shoes of Coach Thibs for a second, if the Knicks were to acquire more shooters, he wants 3 and D players. He wants guys like Quentin Grimes who will give you a couple of threes no problem, but then hustle back on defense as well. You have two unrestricted free agents from the Miami Heat in Max Strus and Gabe Vincent who do that exact thing who I believe are perfect fits for the Knicks.
The primary need that the Knicks should be addressing is shooting yes, but there have been rumors that they are also trying to make a big splash this offseason as well. There are many stars that are unhappy with their situation and after seeing what the Knicks could do and New York as a destination, they would be more than happy to wear the orange and blue.
One player in particular is Karl-Anthony Towns. Many experts believe that he will be a Knick but I would disagree with trading for him. First of all, he is on a lucrative contract for a guy who hasn't proven anything in his NBA career. Secondly, his playoff success is abysmal even on a very good team. Thirdly, he is injury-prone and misses lots of games every season. Finally, it would take a HAUL to get him to New York.
So think to yourself, would the Knicks want to sacrifice this much for a guy who hasn't proven anything during his career in the NBA? I think not. KAT should not be traded for unless at the right price then fine, but anything more is not worth taking the risk on.
The primary offseason needs for the Knicks should not be solely on acquiring stars to surround Jalen Brunson, but acquiring more role players and 3 and D guys that will go out there and give it their all for the team. The Knicks have been on the wrong end of many blockbuster deals and hopefully it doesn't happen again.
There is a lot to look forward on this Knicks team even after a good season ends in a second round exit. Most of the league didn't have the Knicks winning a series in the playoffs and some didn't even have them making the playoffs in the first place. It's an annoying time right now but in just a couple of months the Knicks will be back and better than ever.
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