Are The Knicks Ready To Take That Next Step?

In the first season under head coach Tom Thibodeau, the New York Knicks went 41-31 and earned the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. Things did not go well in the postseason, as they were eliminated in the first round by the Atlanta Hawks.

Coming into the offseason, many people expected them to make a huge splash. They had the most cap space in the league and multiple first-round draft picks as well. Alas, Leon Rose took a different approach.

New York traded back in the NBA Draft three times, adding future assets and a little more cap space. They came away with Quentin Grimes, Deuce McBride and Jericho Sims. A lot of analysts didn’t think it was a strong class, but then those three dominated the Las Vegas Summer League, providing more hope for fans.

The Knicks took a calculated approach to free agency, retaining Derrick Rose, Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel. Their biggest additions were Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker. Again, people don’t think enough was done, but we will have to wait and see how things play out.

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New York upgraded their offensive arsenal and have depth across the board. Replacing Elfrid Payton and Reggie Bullock with Walker and Fournier is a big win. The Knicks are not a team anyone will want to match up with in the first round of the playoffs