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The Knicks Wall Mid-Season Roundtable: The State of the Current Knicks
In a three-part series, The Knicks Wall staff takes a look at the state of the Knicks. Today, we discuss how the team looks right now.
Rollercoaster. If there was one word that could describe the 2016–2017 season, it would be that.
The New York Knicks have had a ton of newsworthy attention this year, so to say that they’re uninteresting would be fake news.
Four of The Knicks Wall staff members are here to discuss how the current Knicks have been and will touch base on a few of the “elephant in the room” questions that have been discussed throughout the league over the last few weeks.
Should the Knicks trade Carmelo Anthony?
The Knicks absolutely should trade Carmelo Anthony. The problem is, the return would pale in comparison to the one that they deserve.
I don’t want to see the Knicks get fleeced in a ‘Melo deal and let another team come off like bandits. *cough* Kings *cough*
Think about it like this: I’m a big Yankees fan. Editor note: “Boooooooo!” I hoped and prayed they would make some moves during last season’s trade deadline, and they ultimately did, receiving some insanely good prospects in return. I wanted them to trade because I knew they would be able to get great value in return. I have no such confidence in Phil Jackson and this front office. I’d rather see them keep Melo through this year and then reevaluate their position in the summer.
Although it pains me dearly, I do believe that the Knicks should trade ‘Melo. They should trade him not just for the sake of the franchise, but for the sake of his goals as well. Everyone knows he wants a ring just as bad as Chris Paul, and it must be a sharp, familiar pain that racks his heart with sorrow when he goes out with his draft class buddies and everyone says, “only winners get wings.”
The Knicks should trade Melo for future assets.
Despite the blatant disrespect ‘Melo has endured from Phil Jackson and the constant trade rumors surrounding him over recent weeks, I believe the Knicks would be wise to keep Carmelo Anthony. He is still a top 10–15 scorer in this league and has proven to be a class act and an extremely productive player. Sure, there’s a lot to criticize about ‘Melo’s game, however, he could be an asset moving forward on a team that is partially rebuilding. I disagree with the premise that ‘Melo will stunt and hinder the growth of young players on the Knicks. If anything, he will make them better and get them better shots since he warrants a good amount of defensive attention as a volume shooter. Also, it is worth noting that ‘Melo has never demanded the front office to trade him, he has made it clear that he loves New York City and wants to finish his career as a Knick.
The only way I would be a proponent of the Knicks trading him is if they can get a couple of first-round picks or Blake Griffin as a result of trading ‘Melo. In the meantime, they should pump the brakes on trying to shop him around. The worst thing that could happen would be losing ‘Melo for nothing like they did with J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Tyson Chandler.
trey —
Trade ‘Melo. Since the trade with Denver, Anthony has cemented himself as the best Knicks player post-Ewing. I know, this level of praise makes you think “Why should they trade him then?” Simple.
The era is over.
Melo is over the hill. As much as it pains me to say it, he isn’t the same player he’s been in the past and the Knicks need to look to the future. Kristaps Porzingis is the future of the franchise. He is who the team should be built around. His timeline is the one that matters the most of any player on the Knicks. Therefore, trading ‘Melo makes the most sense. He should not be traded for peanuts, though, but some sort of youth oriented deal should be something Phil Jackson seeks. Please do not acquire Austin Rivers and Jamal Crawford for him.
Please. No. Don’t.
Should the Knicks tank?
trey —
The Knicks should openly tank. Look. The draft is an inexact science. Nothing about it makes sense. Nobody know who is and who isn’t going to be a future All-Star. We have our guesses, but plenty of guys do not pan out for whatever reason. The higher the Knicks are in the pick order, the greater their chances of landing a future piece to pair with Porzingis. This season is a lost cause.
Sure, the playoffs would be a nice experience for KP, but what exactly would he learn from a 4–0 sweep by the Cavs? Nothing, really.
The pick would make more sense for the Knicks rather than experience for the young guys on the roster. Secure a top-five or six pick and put a young player with a cheap contract on the books. Hope he develops and be happy. What I’m trying to say here is stay low and build, fam. We gotta fuck with that kind of vision.
At this point in the season, the chances of the Knicks making the playoffs are slim. Even if they go on a run and sneak into the 7 or 8 seed, they will almost certainly get bounced quickly by the Cavs, Celtics or Wizards. To me, that is pointless and only puts them in a more precarious position on draft night. It is time to think towards the future and try and get the highest pick possible in this talent-loaded upcoming draft. Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball coming to New York might be a stretch, but there are plenty of other exciting prospects that could enliven the Knicks fan base.
So, yes, tanking in this instance would be fine by me and I believe it is something they should start doing sooner rather than later.
Trading ‘Melo would imply openly taking, especially if he is traded for assets that will come in handy in a more distant future than the immediate one. Right now, the Knicks are half-assing a tank. That means that they can’t even lose the right way. An open tank, where the roster stacked with young, inexperienced players sounds like it could give everyone hope than the hobbled veteran version of tanking that the Knicks are currently stuck with. Openly tanking sounds like a win, but even though it’s just losing, it would take a lot of work in the front office, and everyone knows they’re too busy pretending they’re in a The Game and As the World Turns crossover.
They absolutely should. But they won’t. Trading Carmelo Anthony is the main step towards tanking, so if I think they won’t trade Melo, I don’t think they’ll tank.
Should the Knicks shoot Joakim Noah into the sun?
Joakim Noah is nothing but a hindrance to the Knicks. If there was a footrace to the NBA Finals Noah would be the rusty water heater the Knicks are shackled to.
trey —
To be fair if the Knicks were to send Joakim Noah into the sun, it wouldn’t be the craziest thing to happen this season. No doubt Dolan would come back from this scenario and proceed to unretire somebody’s number in order to take all the focus off of Noah’s “disappearance.” Heck, this wouldn’t even be the first spontaneous disappearance of a Knick player this season!
Imagine that. What’s it like to have a normal franchise as a favorite basketball team? Must be nice. But, seriously, this contract is awful. Blackmail Noah and force him to retire so this contract comes off the books. Didn’t think Noah’s deal would be this bad this soon. Figured he could at least play a season at center, starting, and let KP take over next year or the following year. Nah. Nope. Noah is unplayable. Noah is untradeable. Only like three more years.
I remain steadfast in my belief that Joakim Noah is not as bad as everyone believes. He can’t protect the rim and his assist percentage is the lowest it has been since 2011–12, but he can still rebound the basketball effectively. He is obviously not worth his contract, but with the combination of him, Hernangómez, and O’Quinn, the Knicks have a solid center rotation for the rest of this season and into the near future.
Initially, when Joakim Noah first inked his 4-year/$72 million contract over the summer, I was not a happy camper. Overpaid, overrated, bad signing were my immediate thoughts. Over time, I warmed up to the idea somewhat, citing his ability to protect the rim, dish the rock and his veteran leadership. But now? I’ve had enough. This guy needs to be gone as soon as possible. Noah has been a walking injury all season and hasn’t produced a lick when actually on the floor. He contributes nothing offensively and hasn’t been the defensive and emotional anchor that the Knicks had hoped for. It would be wise for the franchise to eat the money and release him. Not sure if I could bear to watch him shoot another free throw either.
Willy Hernangómez and Kyle O’Quinn deserve the bulk of playing time and are more than capable of holding down the center position for the rest of the season. Nobody wants to see this dude anymore. Noah is better suited on team with requisite talent already in place that is devoid of a veteran presence down low like the Golden State Warriors. Thanks for the memories, Joakim.
That’s it for part one of the three-part roundtable series! Check in with us tomorrow as we discuss about the future of the team.
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