3 Ways the Knicks Can Approach The Future

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Attract a Marquee Free Agent

Positives: Given the Knicks current situation, it could make sense to try and lure another high-level player to New York in order the better shape the lineup. With the possibility of names like Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, and Chris Paul being available this summer, the chance to create an instant contender is still in the air.

Negatives: There are far too many holes in the Knicks play that would more than likely drive top tier free agents away. It would be far too risky to commit to a team that has lacked a definitive direction for more than a decade. Adding another star sounds nice, but would it truly fix the Knicks inherent problems? 

Trade Carmelo Anthony

Positives: Moving Anthony would allow the Knicks to make the future their top priority. By Acquiring a stockpile of assets, they could begin forging the foundation for success in the coming years. That kind of promise would not only keep fans excited for what's to come, it would draw away the criticism that the team was solely focused on a player that was not the long-term answer.

Negatives: Without Anthony, there would be a struggle to find a legitimate scorer, placing much of that responsibility on Porzingis (Unless Rose decides to re-up with the team). It will put a lot of pressure on the other players whom have gotten far too used to deferring to Anthony.

Build Around Kristaps Porzingis

Positives: KP is the future of the team and it makes a lot of sense for him to be the focal point of everything the Knicks do. Handing over the reins could be a big help for his development as he would be more than willing expand his overall game. If all goes well, The Knicks will have a bona fide superstar that will lead the organization for years to come.

Negatives: The Knicks could end up committing to him too early, placing a lot of pressure on Porzingis to perform to his potential a lot sooner than he would like. That could become a huge setback for his game as his struggles would be well documented by the harsh New York media. 

Knicks: 5 Keys for Success in 2016-17

Continuity

There are 7 new players on the team this year, including three new starters so it will take time for the Knicks to become a cohesive unit. From the looks of their opening game that process could take a bit longer than many would like, However, if they're committed to the process, Jeff Hornacek should be able to find a niche that works well with the team he's been trusted with.

Defense

Many say the Knicks defense is subpar at best and for the past few seasons, that has been an unfortunately correct analysis. This season must be the year that something gives. The team has two great interior rim protectors in Porzingis and Noah, whose length can alter the shots of any penetrators. That leaves it up to the team to defend the perimeter and not leave shooters open for great looks. The Knicks can't allow themselves to repeat the same problems that have plagued them for so long, otherwise the season could end in bitter disappointment.

Carmelo Anthony

This is a big season for Anthony to show that he is indeed a leader that can help his team win. As the only constant New York has known for five years, there is an onus on him to provide stability and unify the team around a common goal. Though he's had this chance before, there will many more eyes watching this year wondering if he'll be up to the task.

Jeff Hornacek

He'll have some scrutiny hanging on him whenever the team performs poorly, especially since he coaches in the media capital of the world. That should make it imperative that he finds a way to succeed early, but like many things it is not guaranteed. What is most important however is his bond with the players. There are host of different playing styles and personalities on the team this year and it will be Hornacek's job to make sure they operate as one closed-knit unit. If he manages to do that there is no telling where the Knicks could go and that would be a good thing for Mr. Hornacek.

Playoffs

Without a doubt the Knicks must get into the playoffs this season. Anything other than that would be considered disastrous. With all the changes made by Phil Jackson, the team is expected to put forth the effort to bring New York basketball back to some sort of prominence, that way the fans can look forward to a future that will hopefully have the Larry O'Brien Trophy in it.

How to Fix The Knicks

With recent struggles, the Knicks have found themselves in an all too familiar place
Photo Credit: Jason Getz USA Today Sports

Things have not been going well for the Knickerbockers. After a promising 22-22 start, the team has spiraled to a 3-15 record in their last 18 contests; leaving many to wonder if the team can be fixed at all. Here are four key areas that the Knicks need to spotlight if they want to drastically improve their fortune over the next few years.

Carefully Choose the Next Head Coach

If one wants to be honest, Derek Fisher was not ready to be a head coach in the NBA. After Phil Jackson struck out with Steve Kerr, he became pressed to find someone willing to take the job, and Fisher was his man. However, the Knicks floundered to a 40-96 record under the former 18-year veteran, which lead to the team firing him on February 8 after 1 ½ seasons. It will be imperative for the Knicks to find a coach with experience and a winning pedigree if they want to maximize the talent on the roster and get back on the right track.

Find a Steady and Effective Point Guard

To say it's been awhile since the Knicks had a good point guard would be an understatement. The lack of dribble penetration and an aggressive attack is prevalent on nearly every offensive possession. Although Jerian Grant and Langston Galloway have great potential as point guards, they need a playmaking guard to show them how it's done and Jose Calderon is not that player. If the Knicks want to compete in a guard driven league, they will need big upgrade at this position.

Get Anthony Some Help

Carmelo has hit a wall in his career and it's starting wear him down both physically and mentally. Knowing this, Jackson must find help that would alleviate the burden Anthony currently carries. If the team can add a high caliber player to the roster, it would help increase the team’s overall competitiveness and breathe new life into their star player who seems to be fading with each passing loss.

Begin Building Around Kristaps Porzingis

He's just a rookie, but the Knicks certainly have something when it comes to Porzingis. His size and skill set alone make for a potentially dominant player that could lead this team for years to come. As of right now Anthony is the guy the Knicks are focused with right now, but there's no doubt who the future focus will be, it's all a matter of when they decide to pull the trigger.

These Are Certainly Not Last Years Knicks

The Knicks have surprised many with their improved play
Photo Credit: Adam Hunger USA Today Sports

The Knicks are five games over their win total from last season and look to be on their way to a major turnaround. The sudden surge of good basketball is the sum of a carefully planned retooling implemented by Phil Jackson, who has preached patience from the moment he arrived in the Big Apple. Here are some of the factors that have lead to the Knicks:

The Rise of Kristaps Porzingis

It wasn't long ago that the New York faithful booed vociferously at the drafting of Kristaps Porzingis as if he were the second coming of Chris Dudley. 44 games in those books have turned to resounding cheers as Knick fans anxiously anticipate every move he makes. Porzingis may only be a rookie, but he has suddenly captivated one of the toughest fan bases in the nation in seemingly one fell swoop. Hopefully he will only get better from here.

Melo sharing the wealth

The days of the Carmelo Anthony total isolation have not quite gone away, but there is much more to it than what many have been accustomed to. at 3.9 assists per game, it may not look like he is accomplishing anything special, however if you've watched the games, Anthony has begun to trust his teammates more and more with each pass. This has lead him to become more of an on court leader, willing the Knicks to greater heights.

New Additions

Arron Afflalo (14.2 pts 3.7 reb 1.8 asts), Derrick Williams (9.0 pts 3.2 reb), Robin Lopez (8.9 pts 6.0 reb), and Kyle O'Quinn (4.7 pts 3.9 reb) have contributed nicely to the new dynamic of the Knicks. Although it did take a few games for them to get comfortable, each have shown the ability to confidently handle themselves on the court in a variety of situations. This has made things much easier for Anthony, who has had to shoulder the scoring load for much of his tenure with the Knickerbockers.

Bench Contributions

Much can be said about the contributions of players such as Lance Thomas, Langston Galloway and Jerian Grant. Their hard work and perseverance hasn't gone unnoticed by Derek Fisher as he continually gives them regular minutes off the bench. They say great teams have great benches. If they keep this up, the Knicks will be well on their way to having one of the more superior ones in the NBA.

Improving Eastern Conference

The last decade has not been kind to the East as most of the league's worst clubs have come out of the conference. The Knicks have been no stranger to this as they have found themselves in the doldrums far too often during this span. That is not the case this season as the East has quite a few improved teams who could vie for playoff position with .500 of better records. The increased the level of competition has given the Knicks the a better chance to measure where they are in respect to their opponents.

Carmelo Anthony Must Shut It Down

                                 

Carmelo Anthony has battled both a bad knee and less than stellar (to put it mildly) Knick team this season.  Given these circumstances I don't think anyone will blame him for taking an extended vacation.  It was very clear that the team would not compete for anything but a lottery pick this year.  However, not even Anthony could predict just how lousy it would actually get.

As the team stumbles into the All Star break and onward, all eyes will be aimed at free agency and a desperately needed roster turnover. Though his loyalty and competitive spirit are truly commendable, Anthony has no reason to jeopardize health for a lost cause.  It's best to let this deplorable season blow over and wait for the actual reinforcements to arrive.

Same Old Knicks

Last night the inevitable happened, the New York Knicks were eliminated from playoff contention.  This brought an end to their 3 consecutive playoff appearances, their longest in a decade.  Though they did not give the fans much more than a single series win, it was nice to see the long beleaguered basketball team get into the fold.  However, it seems the old adage is taking ring true yet again "The more things change, the more they stay the same."  The team doomed to this fate from the very moment they endured a debilitating 9 game skid from early to mid-November and try as they would they never found themselves again.  Several increments of 3, 4, and 5 game losing streaks would follow, all of which added up, making it that much more difficult to climb the playoff ladder.  Some may ask what went wrong, but in actuality that should say is, what didn't.

The Knicks were one of the worst defensive teams in the league, especially against teams with great guards. They also never found consistent continuity offense, often looking discombobulated and desperate.  When you put those together, you certainly do not get a playoff contender, instead what you do get is a team that has no sense of who they are.  All season long head coach Mike Woodson and the players talked of everything but the reality that they were not good enough to consider themselves amidst the league’s elite.  Sure there were signs of good things when they defeated playoff bound teams such as the Heat, Pacers, Warriors, and even the Spurs, but it would amount to nothing as they suffered loss after loss to teams that great teams that many felt they should handle, the far too prevalent flaws reared their ugly heads many times, more than I am sure the Knicks would like to admit.  In addition, there was also a lack of leadership and accountability from Woodson whom at many times seemed as if he was oblivious to what was happening.  His constant mismanagement of the roster and favoritism of certain players and their style of play ran a muck this season and did more harm than good.  One of the more troubling issues was his bedeviling allowance of isolation basketball hat did nothing but ruin the flow of the game and make the Knicks very vulnerable on offense.  It is clear a change needs to be made, whether or not that happens will be up to Phil Jackson and what he feels is best. 

There was on person who saw the truth about this team much like all of the fans...Carmelo Anthony. He stated before the season began that he would be testing free agency and also saying that he was placing winning before anything else.  Now that he will miss the playoffs for the first time if his 11 year career one has to believe that he will be saying goodbye to the Big Apple this summer.  Perhaps this is the change that the Knicks need. Maybe they can finally get a good look at themselves and realize that they are far from what they want to be.  Only time will tell if it gets any better but for now New Yorkers will continue to berate and complain about the Knickerbockers, something they've grown quite accustom to.

Getting Back on Track

2013 was a year to forget for all fans of professional athletics in New York City area as all of its teams did little or nothing for the 12 month period.  However, it seem that they has been listening to the harsh criticisms of the nation’s toughest fan base and are taking the necessary steps to improve their status amongst the people.  The Islanders are heading into a transition from the dilapidated Nassau Coliseum to the new confines of the Barclays Center, the current home of the recently emigrated Brooklyn Nets.  Hopefully it will allow the team to gather a new following and not to mention larger revenues. With their young roster and money to spend there could be some exciting hockey to look forward to in the near future.

The Yankees have undergone a facelift with the retirements of Yankee greats Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera, both significant losses to say the least. However, nothing has shaken the foundation of the Yankees more than the coming exit of team captain Derek Jeter, who announced that he will retire at seasons end. This has caused the team to seriously re-evaluate its future on a much grander scale. In response to all of this the Yankees dove deep into their very bloated pockets, spending $471 million in free agency to retool and forgoing their $189 million payroll plan. The list of those additions include Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran, Kelly Johnson, Brian Roberts, Matt Thornton, Japanese export Masahiro Tanaka, and former Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury.  Putting this kind of talent together has upped expectations in Yankee country, and the "Evil Empire" is poised to regain their rightful place atop the baseball world.

The New York Giants have undergone as similar makeover as the team did something most unprecedented, they spent money on young talent instead of trying to get value out of players who may never reach their potential.  After a season that saw the team begin 0-6, tying for the worst start in team history, coupled with missing the playoffs for the 4th time in five years it was clear changes had to be made.  The Giants long time offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride retired, allowing the team to bring in former Packers quarterbacks coach Ben McAdoo to spice things up.  This is a welcome change for many fans who felt the Giants offense had become predictable and boring.  The team then restructured the current contracts of Chris Snee and Steve Weatherford to free up cap space.  Unfortunately the Giants did endure loses of DE Justin Tuck, DT Linval Joseph, OL Kevin Boothe and WR Hakeen Nicks in order to give the team the edge it needed to get better.  The organization resigned veteran Linebacker Jon Beason who made a pretty big impact on the defense after being acquired in early October.  They also added former Ravens LB Jameel McClain to line up alongside Beason, shoring up what has been a very problematic area for a long time.  The other signing included OL John Jerry, S Quintin Demps, T Goeff Schwartz, RB Rashad Jennings, CB Walter Thurmond, CB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, and the resigning of for WR Mario Manningham.  These moves have given loyal Giants fans renewed hope and optimism for next season which if all goes well could be a quite successful one.

As for the New York Knicks this season has been underwhelming at best.  After a 54 win season and division title last year, the team has tumbled backwards spending most of the year well under the .500 mark.  With team star and top scorer Carmelo Anthony announcing he will opt out of his current contract to explore free agency, the Knicks find themselves in a most urgent situation.  In order to bring forth a glimmer of hope and quell the ongoing negative sentiments, owner James Dolan hired legendary coach Phil Jackson as President of Basketball Operations.  Jackson will begin the daunting task of putting together a competitive and successful team that all New Yorkers can be proud to root for.  It will be up to him to make a plan that will reassure both the fans and the overbearing Dolan that the organization will be ready to make a great leap to the contender they have not been in over 15 years.