The New York Knicks have been the butt of a lot of jokes in the NBA for a couple of years now. They haven't made playoffs since 2013 after a second-round exit to the Indiana Pacers, and their reputation has declined mostly due to poor coaching and offseason maneuvers. However, this year might be the change the organization needed.
New faces
Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis are the centerfold in this organization without question, though the latter shows the most promise for the team as a whole. Anthony only has some-odd years left before his play begins to decline, so Phil Jackson had to make some quick decisions.
Though he didn't exactly lose out in the summer of 2015, Jackson wasn't able to form a powerhouse that could bring the Knicks back to playoff competition. Yet, the drafting of Porzingis and the small collection of solid, second-tier NBA players he secured gave the Knicks some leverage in the offseason this year.
Derrick Rose is one of the newer additions to the Knicks' roster and a hell of a good one. Though his history of injury is a concern, it doesn't bolster as much of a concern as it did in previous years. He played 66 games this past season, missing out on 16 games because of a few minor leg/ankle injuries. He still came back from those missed games and showed signs of elite performance. He's still one of the best scorers off the drive and in transition, he's still athletic and he can shoot effectively when needed.
Worst case scenario, Rose is a rental for a single year, and dumping his contract will open up tons of cap space for the Knicks in the coming year.
High expectations
Rose is on record saying he thinks the Knicks are the other "super team" in the NBA, opposite the Warriors. Though, as a competitive player, he is expected to say such things, his comments might hold some weight in that the Knicks have legitimate experience on their roster altogether.
With guys like Joakim Noah and Courtney Lee, the Knicks have a veteran presence comparable to their 2012-13 roster. Lee made the NBA Finals in his rookie season and has played on other successful teams at that. Noah is responsible for an entire season of success for the Bulls in which he was a triple-double threat nightly. Another thing going for Noah is he's an absolute nut case, and he isn't afraid to tell his teammates how it is. The culmination of all these veteran bodies, along with a solid bench of younger players could potentially be enough to rebrand the Knicks as a successful organization once again.
For instance, Brandon Jennings, who happens to agree with Rose's sentiments, will be coming off the bench most likely, and his scoring prowess along with his court vision is something that was needed from pure point guards on the Knicks' roster. Both Rose and Jennings are fully capable of driving to the paint to either score or draw a foul, and that's a huge improvement from the likes of Calderon and Galloway. There won't be as much hesitation on the drive and there will also be less settling for jump shots when these two take the floor.
Another sight for sore eyes is the return of Lance Thomas, who could have legitimately been a Sixth Man of the Year contender. His defensive pressure and improved shooting from all areas on the court truly helped the Knicks out when the bench had to give its input. Thomas had a string of small injuries further down the line, but he was always effective in transition along with pressuring the ball handler, which gave the Knicks that aggression they needed to force turnovers and slow down the pace for the other team as opposed to themselves.
New coaching
Head Coach Jeff Hornacek will be integral to picking up the pace on both ends for New York. With his shooting-guard mindset, and past expericne coaching guards like Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight in Phoenix, Hornacek will probably utilize his backcourt to its maximum potential while also instituting a different form of Triangle Offense into his gameplan, per multiple reports.
With an up-tempo coaching style, the Knicks should be scoring at a much higher clip in fewer possessions, which would make the team far more interesting than previous seasons. The defensive culture should also take a huge turn, as helping the younger big men develop their footwork to keep up with their defensive assignments is likely one of Hornacek's major focuses aside from faster scoring.
The Knicks might not be a super team necessarily, but they certainly have the potential to do something big this year if they stay healthy.