With dismal year finally done, fun starts for Knicks
One of the two worst seasons in franchise history is over and now comes the judgment period.
For the four forgettable months, the Knicks have sold hope in the form of high draft picks and two max free agent slots. They convinced the media and fans to ignore the results and the abysmal 17-65 final record, solidified by Wednesday’s 115-89 embarrassing loss to the Pistons at Madison Square Garden. It was the Knicks’ final gift on Fan Ap- preciation Night – tying the franchise record for futility and losing their 31st game at home (the most ever).
But the conversation quickly shifted to the team’s future and its attraction to free agents.
“It’s the Knicks, man,” coach David Fizdale said. “I really feel like around the league, and I really listen to people when they talk about us, I think people are really excited about the way we’re going about building this and the type of people we’re going to have in our building and the way that we work from a day-to-day basis. I think we’re sitting in a very opportunistic place.”
Steve Mills and Scott Perry have tried to tamper expectations for the summer, but James Dolan sabotaged that PR blueprint when he appeared on the radio and declared, “I can tell you from what we’ve heard, we’re going to have a very successful offseason when it comes to free agents.”
When the owner goes public with an expectation, there’s internal and external pressure to make it happen.
“Successful” offseason means Kevin Durant and somebody else. It almost doesn’t matter who the second max free agent is, but it has to start with Durant. Failure is trading Kristaps Porzingis in a salary dump and not signing Durant. Agent Rich Kleiman, who reps the greatest 2019 free agent, is trying to deliver his client to New York. But a lot can happen before July 1. Buckle up.
“Hopefully all things hit that we go after (in the summer), and it puts us right in the mix of being a winning team,” Fizdale said.
In the meantime, the Knicks have a 14 percent chance of winning the Zion Williamson sweepstakes in the draft lottery, a 40 percent chance of picking in the top-3 and a 48 percent chance of picking fifth. The keepers on the current roster – though all subject to trade in the summer – include Mitchell Robinson, Kevin Knox, Damyean Dotson and Dennis Smith Jr.