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| Photo: Harry B (@harryhandsome86) on Pictogram |
July 5, 2016
Peter Solari Follow @4PeteSakeNY
What an offseason it's been for the New York Knickerbockers! It started with rumors of team President Phil Jackson's premature departure from the Big Apple, after one more season, continued with the unlikely hiring of Jeff Hornacek as coach, which was followed by the typical trade for a once-great, but now declining Derrick Rose. All of that happened before the free agency signing period even started, and the Knicks still have their proverbial foot on the gas pedal.
Peter Solari Follow @4PeteSakeNY
What an offseason it's been for the New York Knickerbockers! It started with rumors of team President Phil Jackson's premature departure from the Big Apple, after one more season, continued with the unlikely hiring of Jeff Hornacek as coach, which was followed by the typical trade for a once-great, but now declining Derrick Rose. All of that happened before the free agency signing period even started, and the Knicks still have their proverbial foot on the gas pedal.
There is a lot of talk about the Knicks being in "win now" mode, but "win now if" mode seems more appropriate given all the questions surrounding their biggest acquisitions.
Rose is the biggest name the team has brought in thus far, and unfortunately that name has been tarnished a bit over the past several years. He burst onto the scene like a a bat out of hell after the Chicago Bulls drafted him first overall out of Memphis in the 2008 NBA Draft, turning the team and the city, his hometown, into title contenders for the first time since a guy named Michael Jordan retired for a second time. The three-time all star was even named the NBA's Most Valuable Player in 2011, just his third season in the league. However, nothing has been the same since then.
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| Derrick Rose |
In 2012, injuries limited Rose to just 39 games, and in his first game of that year's playoffs, Rose tore his ACL, ending his season. Rose spent the entire following season recovering from surgery, and didn't play in a single game. He returned to action in the 2014 season, but struggled to regain his form. Early in that season, Rose tore a meniscus in his other knee, which required another surgery. He only appeared in 10 games that year. During the 2015 season, Rose's right knee was operated on again, and he missed 31 games. In 2016, his last season in the Windy City, he appeared in 66 games, the most for him since 2011.
While there's no guarantee that New York will get anything out of Rose, there's virtually no risk for the team in giving him a shot. The Knicks will pay Rose roughly $21 million for one season, at the end of which, his contract will expire. If Rose can't play anymore, they can let him walk and perhaps make a run at a player like Russell Westbrook. If he returns to form, New York will have the upper-hand in re-signing Rose once he hits free agency. At the very least, the Rose deal won't hurt the franchise long term, which is a huge deal for Knicks fans. And there's still reason to be optimistic. While his knee troubles have slowed Rose down a bit, he's shown that he can still put up numbers at a high level, though not as high as he once could. Rose averaged around 21 PPG prior to his first knee surgery, and has averaged about 17 PPG since. That may seem like a huge drop, but he's really only only had a handful of games to accomplish that, and the Knicks would rightfully take that in a heartbeat from their point guard.
There's no reason to be discouraged. IF Rose can stay healthy, his acquisition could certainly help the franchise. The problem, however, lies more in what the Knicks gave up in return for Rose, and how they're addressing that.
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| Joakim Noah |
Averaging 10.3 points and 7.3 assists per game for New York in 2016, Robin Lopez enjoyed one of the finest seasons of his career, and the Knicks were pleased too. But to acquire Rose, they had to ship Lopez off to Chicago, leaving a big hole at center. Their answer? Rose's former Bulls teammate and two-time all star Joakim Noah.
Noah represents the Knicks' most questionable move of the offseason. He was once exactly the type of player they needed. Noah won't wow you with his scoring ability, but he's a gritty defender and rebounder, and one of the better centers in the league at finding open teammates and passing them the ball. However, he's definitely on the downside of his career, evident over the past two years, and shoulder injuries limited him to just 29 games last season.
Like Rose, there would be no problem with giving Noah a chance to continue his career, but when the Knicks give him a four year contract worth $78 million, it makes you scratch your head. They don't even know if his shoulder is healthy yet, and they're committed to paying him nearly $20 million over each of the next four seasons. IF things don't work out with Noah, this move could hinder the organization for several years to come.
Here's the good news on Noah: While stats show that his offensive production has definitely slipped over the past couple of seasons, they were never that impressive anyway. He has still averaged over nine rebounds per game in that span, which is a good sign for New York. The Knicks didn't sign Noah to score points. They've got a number of other options in that area. IF Noah can defend the paint and rebound the ball, the Knicks will get everything they need out of him.
Not to digress, but isn't it strange to see Jackson bring in two key players from Chicago's most recent title contending teams, when he outright refused to even interview Tom Thibodeau, who turned them into contenders in the first place, for the Knicks' head coaching vacancy? What sense does that make? It's looking more and more like he would've been a perfect fit to coach this team. Rant, over. Now, let's get back on track.
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| Courtney Lee |
With all the questions surrounding Rose and Noah, the Knicks should be commended for their other two signings this offseason.
It's no secret that the Knicks were lacking at shooting guard, and they may have found the perfect answer. Courtney Lee isn't the best shooting guard in the league, but he's a reliable pro that should fit in perfectly IF everything else works out for the Knicks. Lee will stay healthy, eat minutes, and won't hurt you. He isn't going to light up the scoreboard, but with Carmelo Anthony, Kristaps Porzingis, and Rose in the mix, he'll be the fourth scoring option for the Knicks. As a 10 PPG player over his career, Lee should excel in that role. The only question surrounding this move is the length of his contract. The Knicks gave Lee a four year deal, but over his career, he's never lasted with any of his six teams, for more than two seasons. Regardless of how long he ends up staying in New York, he's the perfect answer at shooting guard for a team in "win now if" mode.
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| Brandon Jennings |
The Knicks' latest acquisition may be their best. Signing Brandon Jennings for one year and a paltry $5 million makes all the sense in the world. He's averaged over 15 points and 6 assists per game for his career, and unlike the other new Knicks, he doesn't have a history of medical problems.
Jennings did, however, rupture his achilles in 2015, and his numbers were down quite a bit in 2016. However, upon closer examination, you'll see that he was being brought off the bench last season, and averaged between 10 and 15 minutes less per game. His achilles injury hadn't slowed him down, he just wasn't being given an opportunity.
The Knicks plan to bring Jennings off the bench, too, but will likely play him more than the Pistons and Magic did last year. New York isn't going to want to push Rose too hard with all his question marks, so Jennings should get significant minutes backing him up. Jennings is also the type of player who could start in Rose's absence, should he miss extended time. Plus, he's only 26. Also, like Rose, if Jennings doesn't work out, the Knicks can wave goodbye after one year, having only spent $5 million. And also like Rose, should he shine, the Knicks will have a leg up on other teams, in signing him out of free agency. Furthermore, there's really no reason to believe Jennings can't play anymore, and I doubt that to be the case. So at age 26, Jennings could potentially last longer in New York than any of their other additions.
One thing that's for sure, is there's never a dull moment with the New York Knicks, and this offseason is a testament to that. And IF everything works out the way the organization envisions, 2017 could be a fun year at Madison Square Garden. It's just too bad that the Rangers are moving in the opposite direction.
