New York Knicks: Scott Perry is slowly getting NY back on track

The selection of Kentucky forward Kevin Knox with the No. 9 overall pick in the NBA Draft is the latest example of how New York Knicks general manager, Scott Perry, is getting the franchise back on track

When you continue to add intriguing young talent and don’t spend money carelessly, your rebuild is likely going to end well. And since hiring Scott Perry as general manager, the New York Knicks have followed both of those standards.

On NBA Draft night, the Knicks selected Kentucky forward Kevin Knox with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. In doing so, they added an ideal talent to their roster. In his one year at Kentucky, Knox showcased the ability to be a reliable go-to scoring option. Averaging 15.6 points per game, he was head coach John Calipari’s lead scorer and found ways to put the ball in the cup in a number of ways.

Whether it be shooting off the dribble or attacking the rack, the 18-year-old was a versatile scoring threat. And given his 6-foot-9 frame, he should also be able to play both forward positions interchangeably; Knox and Kristaps Porzingis could play the four and five at the end of games when the Knicks go small in favor of scoring.

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Going forward, Knox will have to improve his overall defensive play which, while not terrible, needs work, as well as his outside shooting (Knox shot just 34.1 percent from beyond the arc in his freshman season at Kentucky).

But when you consider his offensive talent, youth, and size, Knox will be a vital component to the Knicks’ future, as will center Mitchell Robinson – who the Knicks selected with the 36th pick in Thursday night’s draft.

Knox joins a Knicks’ team that is quietly made up of intriguing young players. With soon-to-be second-year players Frank Ntilikina (19) and Damyean Dotson (24), as well as Tim Hardaway Jr. (26), Trey Burke (25), Emmanuel Mudiay (22), Knox, (18), Robinson (20), and Porzingis (22) in the fold, the Knicks have a versatile, defensive minded, and high-upside core for new head coach David Fizdale to work with.

The New York Knicks missed the playoffs in both seasons that Jeff Hornacek was running the show (2016-17, 2017-18), but the latter year was not all his fault given injury and management trading Carmelo Anthony (his best player at the time) before Training Camp.

At the same time, when the Knicks hired Perry back in July of 2017, it was inevitable that he and newly-promoted president Steve Mills would look to move on from Hornacek as head coach in hopes of hiring someone of their choosing – which turned out to be Fizdale.

Last year, Fizdale was kicked to the curb by the Memphis Grizzlies after he and the Grizzlies began the season 7-12. But before his early exit, Fizdale was held in high esteem by many given his defensive-minded coaching ways. In his first year with the Grizzlies (2016-17), Fizdale’s group finished third in points surrendered (100.0). He also proved that he could hold his players accountable and be vocal – which will bode well and is a must-have going forward for the Knicks.

Perry is closing in on his first full year with the Knicks, and while anyone the team would’ve brought in to replace Phil Jackson (in terms of head count) was poised to get praise, Perry has been very decisive on the job.

He resisted the urge to trade for a top-tier, or second-tier point guard such as Eric Bledsoe and Kemba Walker, instead opting to stick with their youth – which is night and day from the stereotypes surrounding the organization in recent memory. And even if center Enes Kanter opts out of his contract for the 2018-19 season ($18.6 million), Perry has already publicly stated that the Knicks don’t intend to be major players in free agency, per Marc Berman of The New York Post:

"“I probably prefer to talk more on that at another venue and just focus more on these guys here today on the draft,’’ Perry said at Friday’s introductory press conference for draft picks Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson. “But we’re not going to be highly active people in the summer as it is.”"

Porzingis is likely going to miss a great chunk, if not all of the upcoming season due to an ACL-tear he suffered back in February – which is a major blow to Fizdale and the Knicks; the big man is the focal point of whatever success they aspire to achieve down the road, and without him, chances are slim that the Knicks will be able to make a playoff push.

Perry and the Knicks didn’t make any drastic transactions during the regular season, made the smart and safe head-coaching hire, and selected the best player with the most upside in the draft given where they picking. Sure, Missouri’s Michael Porter Jr. and Villanova’s Mikal Bridges were intriguing talents, but they’re not flawless players.

Porter played just three games in his Freshman season due to a back injury – which may prevent him from playing in the 2018-19 season – and his defense has been an area of concern. And while Bridges is a great defender and shooter, he’s not a complete scorer. Knox is not flawless himself, but by selecting him and Robinson, the Knicks showed that they can draft talented players at positions of need, but also ones that have the upside to potentially be crucial pieces going forward.

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Knox resembles a smart and savvy draft choice by New York Knicks’ decision-markers; he’s the latest example of how the team is changing for the better under Perry’s influence.

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