New York Knicks have a chance to improve out of the spotlight in 2019-20

The New York Knicks have an opportunity to improve and cement a foundation away from the spotlight during the 2019-20 NBA season

The Brooklyn Nets came and stole the back page headlines in New York this offseason. The Nets pulled the rug from under New York Knicks and signed two of the biggest stars in the NBA. But even while all the lights and cameras were at The Barclay Center, the Knicks’ front office quietly put together a team that resembles what the Nets were last year.

Now I’m not saying the Knicks are a playoff team, but Knicks have 11 players that range from 6-foot-5 to 6-foot-9. If Coach Fizdale can develop the chemistry with this team and get consistent point guard play, these nameless Knicks might be able to squeeze in a headline or two in the New York media.

Now when I say “who are these Knicks?” I’m not saying there aren’t some names you might recognize. But who is the alpha dog? Julius Randle is now the (default, I suppose) face of the franchise, but for the Knicks to bring the lights back to 34th St., they’re going to need RJ Barrett, Kevin Knox and Dennis Smith Jr to grow and develop quickly.

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I believe the veterans they bought in this year can help speed up the process but also teach and develop a culture. Marcus Morris and Taj Gibson personify that 1990’s New York toughness. If they can get the young Knicks to gel together and scarp on defense there might be some light at the end of the subway tunnel.

But with all the toughness the front office may have brung in and the young core they are trying to develop this all falls on coach David Fizdale. Can he develop a culture in New York similar to the one he came up in Miami? Can he find a rotation at point guard that is going to work?

With all the new acquisitions is there going to be enough minutes to develop the young players and keep the vets happy? Fizdale has a full plate, but with all the attention in Brooklyn, he should be able to fly just enough under the radar and possibly build something in New York.

So are these Knicks a playoff team? No, not this year. But I like what’s being built in MSG. And if they stay true to this plan and not chase the quick fix, maybe next year we might be talking about these scrappy young Knicks stealing headlines.