The New York Knicks are a complete joke. There, I admitted it, its out in the open. There really isn't much else to say about a franchise that hasn't made the finals since 1999. It seems like every time this team has taken a step forward, it manages to take 3 leaps back.
Every summer feels like they clean cap space, strike out on every big name free agent, and then they throw money at the best player left. The problem is, once people take a bite out of the big apple, they realize the real problem, it's core (core, apple, funny right?). Throwing money at the problem is not going to work for this colossal heap of garbage that played in MSG this past season, it sure isn't going to keep Carmelo Anthony healthy and playing like a player in his prime. So what is the answer for Knicks fans seeking some sort of quick fix to this situation?
Well, there isn't. Now I know, what I'm suggesting isn't probable, but its the best and most proven way to win. Look to the San Antonio Spurs, the Golden State Warriors, the 2012 Oklahoma City Thunder, and most teams back in the 90's. Build your team. What do those teams have that are proven to win? Core players gotten through the draft. The recipe for success must start at the core. The Spurs are the prime example. Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker were all acquired through the draft. The most the Spurs did after that were minor adjustments in the off season, never spending freely, always getting the right players rather than the flashy ones. That's the reason they've made and unprecedented 18 straight post season appearances. They stand as the model everyone should be emulating to win.
The 2012 Thunder have come closest to that model. Drafting a solid core of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook (also Serge Ibaka, Reggie Jackson and Nick Collison) they home grew their talent making the team cohesion even stronger. Even the Knicks have used this method before. Remember Patrick Ewing? Mark Jackson? The Knicks had 15 years of being a successful franchise mainly because of their drafting skills.
So how does this apply to the Knicks? Well they're in a tough spot. With the fourth pick in this year's draft they don't have much of a chance of landing one the three players that they covet so much. They don't have much as far as tradable assets either. What they do have is money and an aging All Star in Anthony. Now to rebuild this team he must go. With his hefty contract and his prime years coming to a close who would take him? How about the Los Angeles Lakers? The Lakers have never been scared from a blockbuster trade, and with cap space themselves they would be able to take his contract. What do they have that would appeal to the Knicks? They have only 2 players under contract (Kobe Bryant and Julius Randle) they also have the second overall pick. Melo for the second pick would benefit both sides (be greedy and ask for Randle as well, but this is fair enough). The Lakers get their star to take them the next few years after Kobe retires and with the cap space they currently have, could potentially lead to a future big three. The Knicks get another young player they can build on, which together with their fourth overall pick, could be the beginnings of a core for years to come.
Like I said before, this is more than likely not going to happen. For New Yorkers it's even less plausible, seeing as its a win now culture, but this is the best long term course of action. Hasn't it gotten tiresome? Throwing money at players, hiring coach after coach, every year wondering how they're going to pull off some magical trade or free agent signing to finally get them their first title since 1973? This is the best shot they have at long term success, the draft. Yet with the ownership they have it seems improbable that it would ever happen. So Knicks fans wait, and wait, and wait. And with a city with a skyline that is made from scratch, that is breathtaking to behold, maybe its time to build it's own team, its own identity and be a force to reckon with for years to come.
