3 things the Knicks should consider to fix the sluggish start
1.) Getting rid of Mitchell Robinson
Brad Penner, USA TODAY
Now I know what you are probably thinking why would the Knicks trade their best look at center and their best defensive big? Here’s my reasoning Isiah Hartenstein and Jericho Sims. Now Isiah is a great backup center in the league but he can also start. He makes the hustle plays, however, his best attribute is in his playmaking. Isiah can also space the floor, which in terms of what Robinson can’t do is exactly that. It would free up lanes for RJ Barett and Julius Randle more often. Jericho Sims is also an interesting piece, Jericho has the tools to succeed in the NBA and is a more athletic version of Robinson. He would need to improve on defense but he is also a solid option. Now what would you try to get out of trading Robinson? Ideally a PF for bench depth or you package him for a larger superstar trade. At the moment it seems the weakness in the starting lineup is too much iso-style basketball and not enough spacing and that can change with a trade.
2.) The offense needs to change
N.Y. Post: Charles Wenzelberg
The Knicks offense has never been pretty. There are days when they shoot lights out and there are days when it looks like they’re out there playing with sunglasses on. There’s never really a between for this team. The team is heavily run on isolation ball. Whether it’s Randle posting up, Jalen Brunson iso from the top of the key, or RJ Barett mismatch iso it tends to get very predictable. In turn, other people don’t have the chance to get into a rhythm the way they may hope. The playcalling has to be different because teams are sooner or later going to figure all this out. Maybe have an assistant coach who specializes in offense because it needs help. Tom Thibodeau has to figure out a new game plan with this team or they’re going to sink. We saw this last year in the playoffs versus the Miami Heat. The Knicks looked befuddled against a box and one set on Jalen Brunson. Breaking this down against great defensive teams is a good place to start for creating winning basketball.
3.) Julius Randle
Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
The Knicks have a big decision to make this season when it comes to the 2x All-NBA and 2x All-Star Julius Randle. Randle is a great player, he averages over twenty points and can usually get you about ten rebounds a game. However, the duality of Randle is he tends to let himself get in the way of his play. The lack of effort, awareness, and leadership sometimes with a player who is supposed to be held to certain standards is not well. I believe a good portion of that blame falls on Thibodeau for not stepping up and saying something. However, the fact of the matter remains that a meeting or something needs to take place where players, coaches, and more can hash it out and get back to business. Either the Knicks need to let him go and find something better suited for their team, or someone has got to talk with him.
One can only hope that the Knicks continue to get better, as they do have a bright future as a team. Once certain things are addressed and issued this team should have no problem making it into the playoffs on a deep run.
