What is happening with the New York Knicks right now?
Seriously, what? People pretend like they know, myself included. They don’t. I don’t. Team president Phil Jackson went from being obsessed with hiring Kurt Rambis, the triangle offense and this idea that the Knicks don’t need a high-end point guard to win, to giving the head coaching job to Jeff Hornacek, ditching the triangle to an extent, trading for Derrick Rose and…chasing the injury-prone and aging Joakim Noah.
Here’s the New York Post‘s Marc Berman:
The Knicks are desperate for a starting center — their top target is Joakim Noah — and a starting shooting guard after the Derrick Rose blockbuster. They are also desperate to fill out a 15-man roster within the confines of the salary cap. They have just five players under contract.
Ugh.
Taking a flier on one-year of a broken Derrick Rose is one thing. Funneling presumably four years and around $100 million into Noah is another. It’s inexcusable.
The Knicks already have a center on the roster. His name is Kristaps Porzingis. Can he play power forward? Sure. But most of his time in today’s NBA should be spent at the 5, slotted alongside Carmelo Anthony at the 4. Kyle O’Quinn can soak up time at either position behind the two of them, and New York can look for another backup big elsewhere.
Chasing wings should be the focus. The Knicks need guys who can help cover up for Rose’s defensive deficiencies, and they need more than one. Pursuing guys like Allen Crabbe (restricted) and Kent Bazemore, together, makes the most sense.
Shit, even throwing a contract Hassan Whiteside’s or Al Horford’s way would make some sense. Whiteside is younger and perfect for a pick-and-roll-centric offense, while Horford slides in seamlessly next to Porzingis, as a big who can protect the rim and chuck threes.
In no scenario, though, does it make any semblance of sense for the Knicks to chase Noah—unless they are married to the idea of longstanding mediocrity.
