Everything You Wanted to Know About the Knicks But Were Scared to Ask (The COVID Bubble Edition)

Breaking down Leon Rose’s newly-formed front office, what it means for the Knicks, the latest on the coaching search, what draft prospects should the Knicks keep an eye on, and which young player should be kept for the foreseeable future

Jay Slim
SportsRaid
8 min readJun 30, 2020

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© 2020 NBAE/CBS Sports/Jesse D. Garrabrant

Welcome back Knicks fans to another edition of “Make the Knicks Great Again.”

As usual, each season there’s a new “contestant” who goes out of their way to try to make the Knicks a watchable, competent basketball team. I mean it’s never easy in an organization that never exercises patience and proper planning. Anyways, this year’s candidate is Leon Rose, former CAA super-agent and power broker who practically built CAA’s Basketball Division. He is a brilliant man that has managed the careers of well-known NBA superstars like Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, and Joel Embiid. He has reputable reputation in basketball circles as the guy that will most certainly help you get paid in sports. He’s incredibly well-connected so it would make sense that MSG Chairman James Dolan would make a push to hire this guy.

So will Rose be the one to save the Knicks? To be honest, I don’t know but you never know.

Anyways, let’s get on with the frequently asked questions I’ve seen by fans on social media:

Who’s part of Leon Rose’s Brain Trust?

So Leon Rose has been putting together his version of the Knicks’ “Commission.” He has gone out of his way to bring in some of the smartest minds in the NBA to work in the Knicks’ front office. The personnel include Brock Aller, serving as vice president of basketball and strategic planning, Walt Perrin as the assistant general manager for college scouting and Frank Zanin the assistant general manager for pro scouting. Scott Perry — who served as the General Manager during the Steve Mills Era — continues his role as the team’s GM until Rose says otherwise.

Rose also brought in William “Worldwide Wes” Wesley into the fold as Executive Vice President — Senior Basketball Advisor.

Here’s a quick summary as to what each executive brings to the table. Aller is the “capologist” who is going to be of vital importance once the new CBA takes effect in 2021. He was instrumental to LeBron James’ return to the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2014. He knows how to maneuver the cap and can definitely “crunch the numbers” when it comes to organizing players’ contracts while bringing in substantial talent.

Perrin is a draft expert from the Utah Jazz who has a keen eye for immense talent. He made the push for the Jazz to draft Donovan Mitchell in the 2017 NBA Draft. He also discovered Rudy Gobert and Gordon Hayward. As for Zanin, he served as the general manager for the Oklahoma City Thunder working under Sam Presti. Zanin has knowledge of building pro rosters that can compete at a high level. So if you’re wondering why the Thunder never exactly “collapsed” after players like Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook left the team it’s because guys like Zanin know how to build a competitive roster.

And finally, Worldwide Wes is a consultant known to work with Rose during their CAA days. He’s incredibly connected to the league and would likely use said connections to bring in talent. Yup, that means he knows the superstars. So don’t be surprised if a large assortment of superstar talent has immense interest in signing with the team. Whether or not if they actually sign with the team is anyone’s guess.

What exactly does he intend on doing with the Knicks?

For starters, Rose wants to have a head coach by the end of July. In case you forgot due to the absence of basketball on your screens, the last Knicks head coach was David Fizdale and he was unceremoniously fired in early December 2019. Mike Miller served as the interim head coach for the team since then and did a fairly solid job all things considered. However, the poor roster construction, inadequate player development program, and lack of identity all but guaranteed yet another losing season for the Knicks before the COVID-19 Pandemic really took effect in the NBA.

Now that the Knicks are pretty much looking outside of the “Orlando Bubble” Rose is preparing for the upcoming season (assuming we have one). Player development is the number one priority right now on what kind of coach Rose wants for the Knicks.

“We want to find the right leader that can develop our young players as well as hold everyone accountable,” Rose said in an interview on MSG. “And take us from development to becoming a perennial winner. We also want someone that we think will be collaborative with the front office and someone that when you’re in that huddle and when you’re looking at that coach’s eyes, every player who’s looking at him knows that person is driving the ship and going to get the job done.”

How do the players feel about this new regime?

Well it’s sort of a mixed bag to be honest. Some players feel confident Rose can do them right while others are still “on the fence” about him. Frank Ntilikina — who originally was Rose’s client during his first two years in the NBA — has faith in him.

“I know Leon — very professional in what he does. He’s a good guy. We can trust him, I think,” Ntilikina said of Rose, according to Botte. “We all want what’s the best for the team. So we all are moving in the same direction.

Rose has stated that several young players on the roster he likes and has complete faith in their growing roles in the NBA.

“I look forward to working with Kevin [Knox]. I think he’s just starting to scratch the surface,” Rose said. “Frank Ntilikina, given the right circumstances, I think can really prosper. And Dennis Smith, that’s a special talent right there.”

He also called RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson “two young core pieces.” So he’s saying the right things on camera but behind the scenes it’s another story.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Knox “has yet to gain traction” during his time with the Knicks, and the 20-year-old’s “future could very well be up in the air” heading into the 2020–21 season. So there’s a very good chance Knox might be traded during draft night or sometime before the season. Plus, Rose already “chucked up the deuces” to Alonzo Trier and Kadeem Allen so you can expect more young players being sent elsewhere or waived all together.

What about the coaching search?

So far, this guy is at the top of Rose’s coaching search.

Tom Thibodeau — who served as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls for Derrick Rose’s MVP-tenure as well as the Minnesota Timberwolves where he had a falling out with All Star Karl Anthony Towns — is currently seen as the favorite by the league as the one who will likely win the job. He has a history with Rose due to being a client of CAA throughout Rose’s tenure so it wouldn’t be a surprise if Thibs joins up with his old agent again. Not to mention, he was also the assistant coach during the Jeff Van Gundy years and was responsible for that team’s defensive prowess. So Thibs ties to the Knicks runs deep and it’s understandable why most would think he would get the job. It’s practically his dream role.

Other candidates include Kenny Atkinson who served as the Brooklyn Nets head coach before ultimately quitting due to having a falling out with superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving reportedly interviewed for the job. Mike Woodson — who was the former head coach of the Knicks during the Melo Era and had a largely successful tenure— is also in the run thanks to being the only Knicks head coach with a successful record this century. Jason Kidd is also in the mix as well as skilled assistant coaches like Orlando’s Pat Delany, Chicago Bull’s Chris Fleming, San Antonio Spurs’ Will Hardy, Dallas Mavericks’ Jamahl Mosley and Philadelphia 76ers’ Ime Udoka.

So Rose is definitely doing his homework and credit to him. We should have an idea who the head coach is in the upcoming weeks but in all likelihood it’s definitely Thibs.

What about free agency?

Nothing really new on that front. As of now, the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter Movement has taken over the conversation circles in the NBA. Plus, the League is trying to restart the season but given the circumstances recently it’s becoming more and more questionable and people are wondering if they should restart the season. So no real news yet in regards to free agency.

Who are the Knicks looking at in the NBA Draft?

© Getty Images | Anthony Au-Yeung | Yahoo Sports

All eyes are on the youngest Ball child, LaMelo Ball. The 6’6" Point Guard is arguably the best playmaker in the draft. He would give the Knicks not just the biggest potential star prospect in this class, but also a franchise point guard to build around as they look to upgrade the position since it’s clear that Ntilikina, Dennis Smith Jr., and Elfrid Payton are not the long-term answers for that position. His shot is concerning but has tremendous upside and the sneaky athleticism to boot. So he’d be a good fit at the PG position.

Who should they keep an eye out for in the NBA Draft?

© Harry Langer/DeFodi Images/Getty Images/Yahoo Sports

I personally think Killian Hayes should be the prospect the Knicks should have their eye on if they’re looking to upgrade the point guard position long-term. Hayes is a smart passer and good decision maker who has grown considerably as a playmaker on the ball over the last year. He has a decent shot and is shown to be developing as a three-level scorer which is MUCH needed on a team with no real shooters. He’s not flashy, but he’s a smart pick with a high floor.

I also wouldn’t mind players like Cole Anthony, Tyrese Haliburton, Anthony Edwards, Issac Okoro, or Obi Toppin. This isn’t a particularly “deep draft” but each young player has a special skillset that you can’t ignore on a team devoid of long-term pieces other than RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson.

Can this team FINALLY turn things around or what?

I’ll say it before and I’ll say it again: who knows? Everything is an uncertainty until you see results and while Rose is making smart decisions and smart moves, we’ve seen executives do this before on this team and it never pans out. It comes down to the product we see on the floor and it’ll be up to the Knicks to ensure that they have a coach who can properly develop the young players into competent role players, place them in positions to succeed based on their skillsets, fit together, and play with an urgency to win.

Well that’s it for now folks! Hopefully, things will get better but with the pandemic going on and the draft as well as free agency is not until October it’s unlikely that you’ll get much updates on this team anytime soon. The only thing to expect next is the new head coach and that should be in a few weeks. Until next time Knicks fans! Take care and be safe!

*additional information from Yahoo Sports, ESPN, NY Post, The Athletic, CBS Sports, Daily News, NY Times Sports, Posting and Toasting, The KnicksWall

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SportsRaid
SportsRaid

Published in SportsRaid

Original reporting and curated sports data journalism. Actively looking for additional writers.

Jay Slim
Jay Slim

Written by Jay Slim

SportsRaid, InDemand, Thrillist, VIBE, hibu, 1&1 Internet, and Amplify, Inc. Penn State Alumnus. Insufferable Blerd.