It wasn’t too long ago that Derrick Rose considered his Knicks squad a “Super team” similar to the Golden State Warriors. It’s safe to say the Knickerbockers were one of the most disappointing teams from this season. Dealing with injuries, inabilities to finish games and having players disappear randomly during the season (see Derrick rose below); the team can only get better from here. Here just a few ways the Knicks can start getting back on the right track again.
Don’t chase Derrick Rose in free agency
[the_ad id=”384″]Derrick Rose had a roller coaster ride in his first season as a Knick. Acquired in a trade during the off season that sent Jerian Grant, Jose Calderon, and Robin Lopez to the Bulls, he averaged 18 points in 64 games. However, he was fined by the team for missing the January 10th match up vs New Orleans after he went missing without telling team officials. Rose later apologized and said he was dealing with a personal family issue. Earlier this week, Rose tore his meniscus in his left knee, cutting his season short. The former MVP hasn’t played more than 66 games since the 2011-2012 season. This isn’t his first major leg injury. He tore his ACL during the 2012 playoffs and tore his right meniscus ten games into the 2013-2014 season. Rose will be a free agent in July and will likely receive offers close to $18-20 million a year. This season alone, Rose made $21,323,252 as a Knick in base salary. With a draft full of point guard talent and Rose’s history of injuries, it’s safe for the Knicks to move away from Rose after this season.
Draft a point guard in the first round
Since the Knicks appeared in the 1994 NBA Finals, they’ve seen 39 different point guards on their roster. The last time they had a point guard play on the team for five consecutive seasons was Nate Robinson from 2005-2010. It’s almost guaranteed the Knicks will have a mid top10 pick in this year’s draft and multiple mock drafts have them linked to players such as Dennis Smith (North Carolina State) and De’Aaron Fox (Kentucky) and even possibly grabbing Malik Monk (Kentucky.) It will be crucial for the team to draft a guard if Rose does end up becoming a free agent because they’ve already lost Brendon Jennings, who requested his release and signed with the Wizards. The greatest move Phil Jackson made since he joined the Knicks office was drafting Porzingis with the 4th overall pick in the 2015 draft. They’ll need another great first round pick from him this year.
Figure out what’s going on with the triangle offense
[the_ad id=”693″]It’s been made very clear that the triangle offense is bringing a lot of confusion into the organization. Players such as Kristaps Porzingis have openly admitted that a lot of players don’t know the triangle well and that “It’s very random.” Free agents in the offseason will not want to play for a team that doesn’t know what offensive scheme its running or what strategies they want to use. Phil Jackson either has to let Coach Jeff Hornacek run his own offense and scrap the triangle or go back to the drawing board and make sure all the players know how to properly run this offensive scheme.
End the Drama with Carmelo Anthony
It doesn’t help the team’s situation with rumors and drama swirling around one of the team’s main players. Carmelo Anthony is under contract until 2019 and there’s a chance he will continue to play for the Knicks until that time. On the flip side, rumors continue to hint at the possibility that Melo is trending towards leaving the team. Anthony is set to meet with Jackson at the end of season meeting to discuss his future. The team and its fan base need to embrace him as one of the team’s top players and stand behind him with support. He had led the team with 22.5 points per game this year as one of the more consistent players in a Knicks uniform. Anthony plays in New York, one of the biggest sports spotlights in the world, so stories will continue to fly no matter what, but making a decision on his future before the next season starts will help benefit the team and lessen the rumors.
As of today the Knicks are 30-50 and are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. They won’t be contending for a championship this year, but with a few smart moves, they could find themselves in the driver’s seat to possibly make a run within the next few seasons.