Post#1730 » by dakomish23 » Tue Oct 22, 2019 4:40 pm
BSPN power rankings
28. New York Knicks
2018-19 record: 17-65
2020 title odds: +50000
New York Knicks Projections
ESPN
26-56
FORECAST BPI
29-53
FIVETHIRTYEIGHT
20-62
VEGAS
27 wins
The theme this season for the Knicks? Growth. Again.
What they did this summer
This summer was supposed to be when glory returned to Madison Square Garden. The Knicks were confident they were the front-runners to land marquee free agents Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Knicks owner Jim Dolan went on national radio and boasted, "We're going to have a very successful offseason when it comes to free agents." Durant and Irving ended up signing with the other borough: Brooklyn. The Knicks then moved quickly and signed Bobby Portis, Julius Randle, Marcus Morris, Reggie Bullock, Taj Gibson and others. They drafted RJ Barrett with the third pick in the 2019 draft.
BPI's best-case scenario (36-46) and how they get there
The Knicks winning 36 games will be challenging, but not impossible. In order for it to materialize, New York will likely have to prioritize veteran minutes over younger players' development -- more of Morris, Portis and Randle while sacrificing the developmental minutes of players like Barrett and Kevin Knox. Another plausible scenario is Barrett has an explosive season and puts himself in the running for Rookie of the Year, while big man Mitchell Robinson takes another step forward defensively.
One big question: The road ahead
The Knicks must sort out which players are cornerstones of the franchise's seemingly perpetual rebuild and which players are transient. Who will be in New York for years to come? How about just next year? This turnover must slow down.
-- Malika Andrews
Jimmit79 wrote:Yea RJ played well he was definitely the x factor
#FreeJimmit