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Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Knicks find themselves on the outside of the NBA Playoffs. This offseason every Knicks fan must prepare if they expect to survive.
When the regular season ended for the New York Knicks, a not-so-quiet sigh emanated from the bowels of Madison Square Garden. The season began with dreams of a redemptive playoff run for the much-maligned Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose.
Yet, 2016-17 ended as a failure of epic proportions, even for New York. In this Shakespearean tragedy, the court jester owns the basketball team. To make things worse, the court jester seeks the assistance of the town drunk to repair his past mistakes.
However, all is not lost in NYC because the NBA offseason brings new hope for every team.
Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
NY Knicks fans can and should have hope for what this offseason can do for the future. Phil Jackson's behavior may have resembled an inebriated old man, but it only takes one great offseason to repair his past.
The upcoming offseason through the 2018 trade deadline will bring great change to the Knicks. New coach? Free agents? Trades? No matter what happens, fans are the ones who suffer. For a Knicks fan to survive, they must be as strong-willed and resilient as the city of New York itself.
Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Patience Is A Virtue
It may be a long road before Knicks fans see their team travel deep into the NBA playoffs. Surviving such a long journey will require certain skills to make the trip slightly more tolerable.
In every fan base there are impatient sofa prognosticators using an XBox or PS4 to fix their team. Many fans (myself included) have found ways to rebuild the Knicks in one year on NBA2K 17. However, in the real NBA world change happens at a slower pace.
First and foremost, before any other ideas about the Knicks, fans must be ready to wait. The team can only get better from here, with or without Carmelo. Yet, this improvement will be incremental over the next two seasons at least.
The playoffs could happen next year, but no one should expect such success.
Get To Know This Draft
From all indications, the upcoming NBA Draft is overflowing with talent. The Knicks could find a budding superstar no matter where they end up picking. To survive the future, fans must have their eye on who can deliver that future.
If Phil does find a way to trade Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks could end up with another first-round draft pick. Therefore, knowing who is in this draft, top to bottom, is important for fans and management alike.
Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Get To Know Kristaps Porzingis
Kristaps Porzingis is the future of the New York Knicks. Whomever the Knicks draft and whomever they add in free agency must know he is the face of this team. The sooner fans accept this fact, the easier time they will have surviving this NBA offseason.
Recent Knicks teams have centered around the ball dominance of Carmelo Anthony. However, with the eventual demise of the Carmelo experiment comes a new phase: the Porzingis Paradigm.
Kristaps Porzingis is a 21-year-old, 7'3″ Latvian national with years of European club basketball already under his belt.
When other future draft picks went to class and competed in March Madness, Porzingis played at a high level in EuroCup competitions. When the Knicks drafted Porzingis they chose someone with the genetics and experience to lead an organization.
He is nonetheless still a kid and will make mistakes. However, he deserves time and room to grow even if it means another losing season.
The skill set of Porzingis is already incredible and still yet improving. His overall interior defense and shot blocking needs to improve, but at 7'3″ he has a size advantage over everyone in the NBA.
He can shoot from most anywhere on the court, has underrated handles and is a stout offensive rebounder. Both Knicks' fans and management should find peace in knowing he is the future.
Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports
Free Agency Frenzy
No matter who the Knicks draft, the 17-18 win/loss record will be decided by free agents. Porzingis will be better and the rookies will have their chance to make an impact but they won't be enough.
Dan Favale with Bleacher Report identified three realistic free agent options for the Knicks: Jrue Holiday, Joe Ingles and George Hill.
Jrue Holiday
Holiday has good size for a point guard and has proven to be valuable in his young NBA career. A 6'4″ guard with the ability to play off the ball would give Porzingis additional freedom in the Hornacek hybrid-triangle offense. Favale writes:
"Holiday is a borderline All-Star when healthy. He's best when given the freedom to drive, but he fits the triangle offense insofar as he can play off the ball."
Joe Ingles
Ingles is currently gaining invaluable playoff experience as the Jazz have the Clippers on the edge of playoff elimination. This experience paired with elite defense would immediately improve one of the worst defenses in the league.
As a 6'8″ wing player he wouldn't replace the offensive output of Carmelo Anthony, but he would give New York the defender they need.
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
George Hill
Hill could be the all-around point guard the Knicks have wanted for the last two decades. While George Hill isn't a name that equals "franchise player," he would legitimize the Knicks' backcourt immediately.
If paired with a young, athletic shooting guard the Knicks could end up in the playoffs sooner than anyone expects. However, Favale adds:
"George Hill will command close to max money and, at 31, could be fool's gold by the end of his next deal."
Either way, Hill may be a risk worth taking.
Survival of the fittest in the NBA is a brutal game that takes lots of hard work and a few dashes of good luck. The Knicks have a long way to go, no matter what happens in the draft or free agency.
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