1. Improve the backcourt part 1 – Point Guard
The point guard position is a little crowded at the moment but there is not the quality required to lift the team into the playoffs. Jose Calderon is a defensive liability; sorry, there is no other way to describe it. New York need to lose Calderon and his massive contract this offseason.
Putting Calderon up against Kyrie Irving, Jeff Teague or Kyle Lowry puts the Knicks at a disadvantage for the game..
Jerami Grant and Langston Galloway are good players. Grant is the future, but unfortunately that does not help Anthony now.
There are a few quality point guards in this free agency pool. Rajon Rondo led the league is assists this season playing for the Sacramento Kings.
It was unclear if he would even find a team that would take him after the Dallas Mavericks brain explosion, but thankfully Sacramento did and Rondo reminded us of his talent.
He did make some inappropriate homosexual comments at an NBA referee which he was suspended for. Since then, Rondo has kept his nose clean.
Rondo’s passing ability and defense would only benefit New York. Anthony is one of the all-time great scorers and Porzingis would benefit from Rondo’s passing in his second year.
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My guess is that Phil Jackson, who has dealt with some interesting personalities (Dennis Rodman anyone?) in his time, would find a way of controlling Rondo from the front office.
Ramon Sessions from the Washington Wizards would also be a good fit. He is a better defender than Calderon and when John Wall was out at the end of last season, Sessions elevated his game to a level that was a surprise.
Brandon Jennings has not been the same player since he came back from his Achilles injury. No longer the 20-point-per-game scorer, he has come on as a backup point guard with both the Detroit Pistons and then the Orlando Magic.
Give Jennings a team to run and I am sure that we will see him return to a semblance of his former sense.
All of these players are of an age where they will be able to lead the team and then when Grant is ready to go, step aside to allow him to lead.
Next: Improve the back court - part 2