Best approach for Knicks might be to just run it back
New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau reacts against the Houston Rockets in the second half of an NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden on Monday, March 27, 2023. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
During the Knicks' troubled 2021-22 season, as heat was being placed on Tom Thibodeau and fingers were being pointed, an executive from another team told me that Thibodeau was the right coach for the team, but that it’s for a limited window. Three years, he guessed for Thibodeau, to build a respectable culture out of the chaos he inherited. Then his gruff, hard-nosed approach would wear down in effectiveness and it would be time for another coach to take the team to the next step.
The first part has proved true. Thibodeau has gotten the Knicks to the point that they have been in the postseason two of the last three years, won a playoff series for the first time since 2013 and took Miami to six hard-fought games in the Eastern Conference semifinals before falling. The second part, that his voice has worn down, seems ridiculous right now.
And as the Knicks hope to take that next step — they're rumored to be in the mix for every star being dangled on the trade market — the move that might make the least sense is moving on from Thibodeau anytime soon.
As stars are being floated through the rumor mill — almost every one of them being connected to the Knicks in some way — the best thing for the Knicks might be to nearly stand pat right now and, in the gravelly-voiced words of Denver’s Mike Malone, “Let’s run it back.”
The Knicks aren’t in Denver’s position, running it back with a championship team, but they do have a team that won 47 games, reached the conference semifinals and are building around a young core.
The Miami Heat's run to the Finals might be a mirage, and the Knicks really need to arm themselves to pursue the likes of the Milwaukee Bucks or Boston Celtics. But right now they can reasonably tell themselves that they made a good run this season and project to be better without adding a piece.
Jalen Brunson will be entering his second season in New York, having proved to be up to the task of taking a lead role on a contending team — and knocking Donovan Mitchell out of the playoffs two seasons in a row. Quentin Grimes and RJ Barrett can be expected to get better at 23 years old. Josh Hart, providing there is no surprise and he returns as a free agent, will have a full season in New York.
So the theory is that the Knicks can stand pat with that core in place and work around the edges, patiently holding onto their assets until the right star comes along to pursue. And that’s where the current rumors come into view.
Bradley Beal has been given permission by the Wizards’ newly minted front office to speak to teams he has on his wish list (he has the only no-trade clause left in the NBA). If the Knicks are on it, they would have a hard time matching what a team like Miami could offer — a package built around Tyler Herro. The Knicks could piece together an offer built around Immanuel Quickley, bringing him back close to his hometown and ridding themselves of the need to hand Quickley a pricey contract extension. Pair Quickley with the Wizards' (protected) 2024 first-rounder the Knicks currently own and the contract of Evan Fournier (and maybe Derrick Rose), and you might have the makings of a deal.
But even if Beal wanted New York and the package was acceptable to the Wizards, the Knicks would have to figure out if pairing Beal and Brunson in the backcourt would work. Offensively, no problem, but defensively, it would be something else. Add in that Beal will turn 30 later this month, and after an iron man stretch, he has missed 109 games over the last four seasons.
Let’s take an intermission here to remind you that Thibodeau’s most important ability in a player is availability. Now we return to your regularly scheduled programming.
The whispers about Karl-Anthony Towns remain, although the Timberwolves have not indicated that they would part with him or that they want any part of a teardown right now. If he does become available, expect the connections with Leon Rose and William Wesley to hit high alerts — although giving up Julius Randle for Towns seems like a step back and the Timberwolves, with Rudy Gobert in place, would have little use for Mitchell Robinson.
The Knicks' ability to get in on these players is hampered by the absence of a first-round pick this year, although that could be remedied by a trade. Whispers continue that Obi Toppin (extension-eligible and blocked by Randle) could be moved for a pick from teams with multiple first-rounders. The Pacers might be the most likely match as they hold Nos. 7, 26 and 29. Utah has Nos. 9, 16 and 28. The Nets have Nos. 21 and 22 — but as nice as it might be to see Obi in his hometown of Brooklyn, can’t see the Knicks sending the former lottery pick across the river.
The one name worth keeping an eye on is Chicago’s Zach LaVine, who fits more in line with Thibodeau but would come at a high price after playing 77 games this season and being younger than Beal. But is LaVine an upgrade commensurate with the cost? That’s questionable at best.
And that’s how we get to where we began. It’s not as much fun as the rumors floating around, but stability and status quo might be the best thing for the Knicks to do for now, locking in with what they have and running it back to see just how good this group can be.
Zion’s favorite place
Eyebrows were raised in April 2021 when Zion Williamson was asked about his first professional appearance at Madison Square Garden and he smiled widely, starting his answer by saying how happy he was to be asked that.
“New York is the Mecca of basketball,” he said. “I love playing here. I played here in college . . . I mean, this atmosphere, whether they’re cheering for you or booing for you, it’s amazing. Honestly, I think outside of New Orleans, obviously, this might be my favorite place to play.”
Williamson no longer seems so enamored of playing in New Orleans, so he’s been added to the rumor mill and linked to the Knicks. The talent when he’s playing is undeniable — he has averaged 25.8 points per game in his NBA career — but he played only 29 games this past season and none the season before that. With his injury history and his off-court — actually, almost everything has been off-court for him since he’s been in the NBA, so let’s say “personal’’ — problems certainly have diminished his value.
Would the Knicks clear out Randle to take a chance on a 23-year-old who has been hampered by injuries and weight problems throughout his career and take on a contract that is as massive as Williamson’s physique?
Sure thing?
While the NBA and ESPN have teamed up to hype Victor Wembanyama’s pending arrival as the No. 1 overall pick in Thursday's draft, the hype may be getting a little bit out of hand. He certainly has the tools and size to be a great talent, but his final games in France may have provided a hint that it won’t come instantly.
His team, the Metropolitans 92, lost in three straight games in the French League A Finals. Wembanyama averaged 16.3 points per game in the series. There were flashes of his potential but no superstar performances.
With his slender build, he won’t be in the paint, and with his shooting and ballhandling, he shouldn’t be. But he shot 27.5% from three-point range this season and 26.0% last season — numbers that will have to rise in the NBA.
He’s still going to go No. 1. He’s still going to be a unicorn at 7-5. But the idea that he quickly will become the greatest player in NBA history might have to be toned down until he shows it.
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
