Five things we've learned about the Knicks after Summer League
Knicks head coach Mike Brown speaks during his introductory press conference at the team's training facility in Tarrytown, N.Y., on July 8. Credit: Newsday/Kendall Rodriguez
During a week in Las Vegas, we could begin to see the final pieces of the Knicks' summer makeover come to fruition.
There was a major change at the top that, while rumored, still was unexpected. The roster has gone through very minor changes around the fringes, unlike last offseason, when two new starters arrived in major trades, or in seasons when the Las Vegas Summer League meant a first look at a lottery pick.
Now that most NBA-bound players have been shut down and executives have rushed for Harry Reid International Airport, we look back at what we’ve learned about the Knicks' shift from the run to the Eastern Conference finals to what’s next.
1. New voice at the top
Just days after completing the best season the franchise had in 25 years, the Knicks made the decision to fire the coach who’d stabilized and lifted the franchise, Tom Thibodeau. The move deservedly raised eyebrows as there was no ready-to-step-in replacement. The front office reached out to five teams to try to poach the head coach and were rejected each time. Even assistant coaches passed on interview opportunities.
Mike Brown finally got the job, and maybe the Knicks' assertion that he was always the choice and that the rest was due diligence is the truth. But that didn’t make it an easier sell, and not just with the fan base and the media.
In the arenas and in the back corridors, the overwhelming take from executives and scouts was that Brown is a great guy, beloved by those who have worked with him and competed against him. But the secondary notion is that basically, he’s a very solid coach who is in a high-pressure spot, and that lasting the length of his contract seems ambitious.
The sense is that he has a coach’s dream job on one hand — a successful team that returns basically in full with some useful additions around the edges. But that dream means that the pressure to succeed is huge and that implementing some of his own ideas means changing what made the Knicks so good.
Play faster? Sure, sounds like a good idea, except the Knicks' offense revolves around Jalen Brunson playing at his own speed.
Defensive improvement? Yes, please, except that Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns give you 40% of the starting lineup with a weakness on that end.
2. The rotation question
One of the issues that some in the organization had with Thibodeau was his insistence on using a tight rotation and not using the rookies at the end of the roster. Well, the four rookies played in Vegas, and it’s hard to imagine that Brown is going to have an easy path to playing them any more than Thibodeau did even with a year under their belt.
Barring trades or an injury, the Knicks currently have a nine-man rotation of veterans with the addition of Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele and still have room for one more veteran minimum contract.
Whether Brown opts to start Mitchell Robinson alongside Towns — as Thibodeau did late in the postseason after Robinson sat out the first 58 games of the regular season and worked his way into shape — or keeps Josh Hart in the starting five, it’s still hard to imagine going past the seven returning rotation pieces along with the two free-agent newcomers.
3. About that deep rotation
The Knicks had all four rookies from last season on the Summer League squad, and while they all had their moments, none of them did anything to convince you that they will crack the rotation.
Tyler Kolek struggled through the first two games before putting on a solid two-way effort against the Nets. Ariel Hukporti showed the hustle and agility to merit a backup spot at center if Robinson moves into the starting lineup. Kevin McCullar put up 30 points in his second game but suffered a nasal contusion that sidelined him the next game. Pacome Dadiet showed flashes of scoring in transition but still looked like a rookie much of the time — which is fine for a 20-year-old.
4. The real rookie
While those four have more questions than answers, the most impressive young prospect on the Summer League roster arguably is this year’s second-round pick — the Knicks' lone draft pick this time around — Mohamed Diawara.
The 20-year-old French forward might have projected as a draft-and-stash prospect, a raw young player for a team that needs to save every penny it can. But Diawara is an imposing physical specimen, 6-8 with a 7-4 wingspan. He was drafted with defense as his calling card, but he also showed some versatility offensively that might be better developed between Westchester and Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks have one spot on the roster for a second-round pick or a player with at most one year of experience. Although there have been hints that could go to James Nnaji or Dink Pate, it’s hard to make an argument that either has looked more impressive than Diawara.
5. The last spot
The Knicks may seem to have few rotation minutes available, but they do have one spot they can use for a veteran minimum free agent and remain under the hard cap of the second apron they are limited to right now. With almost every team lacking cap space, the Knicks' position as one of the favorites to contend for a title can be tempting to a player who wants the spotlight for a next deal.
The names are intriguing. The Knicks could use a solid backup point guard and they can choose among Malcolm Brogdon, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and Ben Simmons. Those last three may be fantasy basketball — Paul looking to be close to his family in California, Westbrook needing more of a role than he’d get in New York and league sources indicating that Simmons is a long shot for the Knicks.
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
