Here it is, folks.
The most recent move made by the Knicks. Bringing in Leon Rose, Agent to the stars- as the new President!
Go see what Rose has planned with this roster tonight as the Knicks take on the Houston Rockets. Get tickets through TICKPICK.COM ( Use code: SAVE10 for $10 off your first purchase of $99 or more!!). There are no hidden fees, the price you see is the price you pay. It is seriously the best way to get tickets to the Knicks or any event you could want!
This was not a typical move for The Knicks since there was no press conference to introduce Rose to the fans, which honestly is probably a better move. He can't talk about players without it being considered tampering, it would be career suicide to talk about the next coach (see Drak.... Steve Stoute's First Take interview), if Miller doesn't get a solid look, and unless he is going to break out into song, the whole things should take 5 minutes. Nobody needs that time to be wasted.
What we can look forward to is the speculation of what Rose plans to do for the rest of the season and beyond. Here are mine.
1. The Youth
The kids should and already have been getting more playing time. RJ and Mitch have already been getting consistent minutes, however the keys look to be in their hands. Trier has gotten some playing time, albeit non against Chicago but there looks to be a slow transition to giving the kids more late game minutes and the ability to close out games... with some veterans overseeing the play.
2. Aggressiveness
Rose has some great connections in the league. There has already been some dust getting kicked up from Julius Randle not having any overly excited remarks for him. On the other side of that coin, Carmelo Anthony is back buzzing around the Knicks fan's ears about a possibly reunion.
I fully expect Rose to swing for the fences and turn this team back into the must-see Knicks of the 90's with some solid names and competitive play. Do I think that means there will be some moves that take some players to new destinations, YEP! Kevin Knox, Allonzo Trier and Frank are all names that could possibly move if a big name young player (Lauri Markkanen) is unhappy in their current situation and the Knicks could run at.
There are also the Brandon Ingram's of the world and others that could be available through trade and I think that with Rose at the helm, people will actually give New York a solid look (not like KD or Kawhi saying that they never intended to sign here in Free Agency).
3. Big Names
I believe that Leon Rose is going to go BIG when it comes to the sidelines. I think catching a big name coach that has been proven in the league and can generate wins would be something that will cement his name as a serious executive in the NBA.
Let's not forget that Rose is (was) an agent so as much as he is looking out for his clients (The Knicks), he is also looking out for himself. He wants to succeed. With success comes opportunity, with opportunity comes more money. With more money comes... freedom. Freedom obviously meaning the ability to do whatever he wants after this whole thing is over. But I do have faith in the Cherry Hill, NJ native. He's a guy who is going to work tirelessly to do whatever he can to make an impact and with that you will see the Jeff Van Gundy, Tom Thibadeau and John Calipari names being suggested but the key is to not feed into the rumors too early (I'm talking to you Knicks fans..) and taking everything with a grain of salt and some of that blind optimism I spoke about in my article on day 1 of the season.
We still need patience with this new move, it is not an overnight fix but one where many building blocks will need to be placed before we get to the top of the pyramid.
Stay strong! Stay Focused!
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