New York Knicks Roster 2019 Knicks Roster

This season's playoff hopes for the New York Knicks actually ended last year. The moment that Kristaps Porzingis went down with a torn ACL, it put the franchise's hopes on hold until he returns. The Knicks do not have enough talent surrounding Porzingis to be competitive in his absence. New York has finally worked its way out of the salary cap nightmares that have plagued it since practically the advent of the salary cap. There is a sense that the Knicks would be happy treading water until they can deploy the large dollars that a large market brings. However, the Knicks did not hire a coach who would be content with malaise. David Fizdale brings with him a winning track record from his stint in Memphis which was cut short entirely too soon. Hopefully, the Knicks will give him the latitude in what will undoubtedly be a losing season.

New York Knicks Roster Top 3 Questions

Where do we even begin with the Knicks? We can’t be sure the Knicks even know where to begin. Kristaps Porzingis is the big name in town, but his ACL injury leaves doubts for the future. When you have Jarrett Jack starting over younger point guards who need work in game. They drafted Frank Ntililkina and traded for Emmanuel Mudiay, but it didn’t stop there adding Trey Burke. Unfortunately none of these names are for sure things moving forward. The Knicks rounded out the backcourt with Courtney Lee and Tim Hardaway Jr. Lee played some quality ball this year, but is nothing more than a fringe bench player moving forward. THJ on the other hand was handed a big contract, and took a lot of the offensive role when Porzingis was out. At center they are filling in with Enes Kanter and Kyle O’Quinn. They are also still paying Joakim Noah.

When Will Porzingis Return?

Porzingis had blossomed into a superstar when he went down with a knee injury in February. There is no reason for the Knicks to rush Porzingis back since he will miss enough of the season to prematurely end the season for New York. The Knicks should, and will, take the sensible approach and keep Porzingis out of action until he is fully ready to return. When he does return, Porzingis is the undisputed leader of this team and the building block for the future. Porzingis' game has evolved from the high post to the perimeter in his brief time in the league. His size and quickness present matchup nightmares for opposing defenders on the perimeter.

Is Fort Knox Gold?

Being booed at Madison Square Garden at the NBA Draft is not necessarily a predictor for a player's future Knicks' career. Knicks fans did not appreciate the selection of Kevin Knox, who was a lesser heralded swingman from Kentucky when he was drafted ninth overall. Since then, Knox has done nothing but win over fans in New York. Knox showed some potential in the preseason. Even though his frame is slight, Knox is able to clean the glass. In order to become a key player in the league, Knox will have to improve his shooting and his shot selection. Even in college, Knox was not always the most successful shooter, but fans will have to remember that he just turned 19 years old before the season.

Holding for Durant?

It has been long rumored that Kevin Durant will be heading to New York once he becomes a free agent this coming offseason. Many of the Knicks' moves may be geared towards putting a framework in place for Durant should he decide to commit to New York for the future. This may spark some moves at the trading deadline to either shed some salary obligations or to add some pieces that Durant may like. In any event, the Knicks are finally freed up to be players in the offseason instead of being relegated to the sidelines due to salary cap constraints.