New York Knicks: Why the franchise is moving in the right direction

The New York Knicks are going in a new direction in the front office and at head coach. These new faces could make the difference for a middling team.

It goes without saying that the New York Knicks have been at the bottom of the pack for the better part of seven years. Most of that comes down to ownership, and a lack of willingness to rebuild the franchise. The Knicks have not made the playoffs since 2013, which is one of the longest current streaks in the NBA.

One of the biggest reasons for this streak comes down to a lack of competent coaching. To be fair, coaching the Knicks has certainly been an uphill battle. The likes of Mike Woodson, Derek Fisher, Jeff Hornacek, and David Fizdale could not get the team into winning form. The Knicks couldn’t amass more than 37 wins during that seven-year stretch.

That being said, the Knicks looked to be moving in the right direction. The biggest reasons for this lie in their changes in the front office and coaching staff. The Knicks brought in long-time Creative Arts Agency head Leon Rose to run the front office. While he may not have experience as a front office executive, Rose has years of experience representing players and creating relationships with them. This could serve the Knicks well, as the Los Angeles Lakers had success applying a similar approach in hiring Rob Pelinka to their front office.

Now, Rose’s experience as an agent could be more valuable with respect to attracting players. In particular, the goal of an agent is to develop relationships with players and help them get the best possible deal for their career both on and off the court. Rose’s biggest asset at the moment is his interpersonal skills.

Not to mention, Rose has had to negotiate many a contract in his day. For a team that has not attracted a superstar player via free agency since Amar’e Stoudemire, this could prove vital. In particular, with next year’s potential free-agent pool being the biggest it’s been since 2016, the Knicks have a wide variety of possibilities.

The New York Knicks can take advantage of their new situation

The Knicks will have a slew of cap space, barring any unnecessary spending, going into 2021. As long as Rose plays his cards right this offseason, and stays the course, the Knicks could finally make out like bandits in free agency. But, running a front office is only part of the process. The next part comes in the form of coaching the players.

At head coach, the Knicks brought in former Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau. Now, Thibs has made quite the name for himself over the course of his career. On the one hand, people adore his defensive prowess and his ability to get the most out of his players on that end of the floor. To that same token, there are concerns that he runs his players into the ground, thus making him an acquired taste for players. Essentially, some think he’s a genius, while others think he runs his players dry.

Ultimately, what Thibodeau brings is proven leadership, with a track record that speaks for itself. He has a record of 352 wins and 246 losses as a head coach. Now, most of those wins came during his tenure with the Bulls, as his time with the Timberwolves ended abruptly as he was fired 40 games into the season. This could very well come down to fit, and whether or not Rose can build a team around Thibs that will play the way Thibs wants to play.

Since the Knicks have a blank slate, a ton can happen. There are lots of options for how Rose and Thibodeau can make this situation work. But, this certainly does not take away from the fact that the New York Knicks are moving towards fixing the culture of the franchise. As such, the Knicks will be a team to keep an eye on over the next few seasons. Time will tell whether this experiment proves successful.