By Marlowe Glass
Every year the NBA season comes around, Knicks fans undergo a rollercoaster of emotions. Before our first few games, a little bit of hope exists. The hope of being at least a mediocre team. Then, quickly as we see our season unfold, every bit of hope is lost. Year after year, Knicks fans are met with the same disappointment–a team filled with a few hopeful young players and a lot of old retiring players. However, this year seems to be different. For once there is hope for New York basketball.
After an eventful offseason in which the Knicks struck out on every star possible, Coach Fizdale and General Manager Scott Perry put together a plan for the future. No longer would the Knicks hand out huge deals to mediocre stars, instead they would build through the youth. The Knicks launched this plan by acquiring RJ Barrett through the draft, a true scoring phenomenon. Give him the ball and he will find a way to get to the hoop, scoring off the dribble through contact. Acquiring Barrett gives the Knicks a young star that has a very high ceiling. Next, the Knicks filled out their roster with proven role players like Taj Gibson, Wayne Ellington, Bobby Portis, Reggie Bullock, and Marcus Morris. While these players don’t add a lot to the future of the Knicks, they serve as leadership for the younger players on the team. Finally, the Knicks added Julius Randle, a young Power Forward fresh off a breakout season in New Orleans. While Randle has a lot of work to do on the defensive end, he provides the Knicks a consistent scoring option in the low post, high post, or pick and roll. These offseason additions, mixed with the young core –Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson, and Frank Ntilikina– give the Knicks a lot of room to grow over the course of the season.
Although it’s only a few games into the season, Knicks fans finally have hope. Yes, we have lost nearly every game we have played. Yes, our coach is a few weeks away from being fired. Yes, our front office is about to be replaced. However, RJ Barrett is looking like the star we hoped for. After the trading of Kristaps Porzingis, the Knicks had little to no young superstar talent. However, RJ Barrett is averaging 16 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists through his first 11 games. These stats are exceptional for a rookie, and are just about the only thing Knicks fans are hopeful for. RJ Barrett looks like a young James Harden with a less lethal jumpshot. Yes, I said it. RJ Barrett is a jump shot and multiple years of development away from being an MVP contender. For once, there is hope in New York.