Well, that did not go as we hoped but probably went exactly how we expected it would go, huh, Knicks fans?
Let's take a minute and be honest. How many wins will De'Andre Jordan and Kyrie Irving get the Brooklyn Nets next year? My guess is that it's a minimal improvement without KD and when he returns, will he be the same player at age 32? Doubtful. He will still be a great shooter and also 7 feet tall. Slower and less of a lockdown defender, maybe. But, I am not here to focus on the negative or another team, so let's take a look at some bright spots from Day 1.
VALUE:
Perhaps the most important aspect of Day 1 was not breaking the bank and overpaying for a second tier player(s) with extra years. The longest deal so far is Julius Randle's 3 year/$63 Million contract. It is worth noting that year 3 is a TEAM OPTION and not a player option so if things go awry, this is not a long term mistake.
YOUTH:
The young core of the Knicks can not be understated as a tremendous up-side to the future of the organization and if they play well this season they could see some good luck come their way just like Brooklyn did this year.
Julius Randle will turn 25 this season
Wayne Ellington will be 32
Reggie Bullock 28/29
Bobby Portis is 24
Taj Gibson is 34
Gibson is obviously a much older player but his health and leadership cannot be understated to the development of the young core. Which brings me to my next point:
DEVELOPMENT:
The growth of the RJ Barrett's and Kevin Knox's of the world is the very obvious main focus of the franchise at this point. Setting them up with veteran leadership as well as teammates that will push them to get better as well as the night in and night out competition of the world's best basketball players. As long as the culture continues to improve and we can keep the kids committed to the team, this core has the ability to grow and go a long way together.
This is not the outcome we wanted, but knowing that this is what we've got, it is time to rally around the vision of what Coach Fizdale and the Front Office can turn this team into. Remain hopeful and know that better days are coming.