Twenty-nine different opposing NBA teams will walk through the doors of Target Center to play the Wolves this season, and we want you to know as much as you can about all of them. We’re going worst to first in order of last year’s standings and telling you everything you need to know. Next up, a Knicks team with enviable talent and a whole lot of questions entering a new regime.
Notable Players Acquired: Kevin Knox (draft), Mitchell Robinson (draft), Mario Hezonja (free agency)
Notable Players Lost: Kyle O’Quinn (free agency), F Michael Beasley (free agency)
Recapping 2017-18: The Knicks had a strange season last year. They lost Kristaps Porzingis—one of the best young players in the league and a potential superstar—48 games into the year. That effectively ended the season of what looked like a very interesting young team.
Before he tore his ACL in an early-February contest versus the Bucks, Porzingis was playing like a player that was ready to take the next step in an already-successful career. He averaged 22.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and an insane 2.4 blocks per game while shooting 43.9 percent from the field (decent but not great) and 39.5 percent from three (for a big, amazing).
The thing is, Porzingis never really had much help in 2017-18. When he went down that became all the more apparent. The Knicks only won six games without Porzingis and ended their season with a record of 29-53, good for 11th in the Eastern Conference.
The Knicks also have a surplus of guards none of whom have shown the ability to lead the team. First-rounder Frank Ntilikina has shown the potential to be one of the best defenders in the NBA, but is extremely raw on offense. Tim Hardaway Jr. had a great season, but has limited upside and is probably best featured in a reserve role instead of as the team’s starting shooting guard. Trey Burke and Emmanuel Mudiay are both looking to resuscitate their NBA careers and while they both had their moments there are no guarantees that either one can be an answer for this team long-term.
The Knicks drafted Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson in June and the early returns on both players are very positive. Knox looked like the best player at summer league at times, and showed off a great ability use his shooting threat to drive past defenders. Robinson, on the other hand, looks like he’s going to have a chance to develop into one of the best rim-running and rebounding bigs in the league, and showed off elite defensive potential. For now, though, both players are theoretical talents—evaluating players based on their Summer League performance is a dangerous game.
The Knicks also signed Mario Hezonja, who is looking to hit the reset button on his NBA career after a tough few years in Orlando. New York also brought in David Fizdale to spearhead the rebuilding process. With so many young players and so little certainty, he will have a ton of flexibility in making this team in whatever way he sees fit.
The Big Question:
Outside of Porzingis’ health, the biggest questions about this team are around the starting lineup and minutes distribution.
The only unquestioned starter on the roster is Porzingis and it’s unclear when he’ll be back. Depending on how quickly Hezonja and Knox learn the Knick’s new system, they could easily start at either the shooting guard and small forward or small forward and power forward positions, depending on how Fizdale wants to play. Depending on where Hezonja plays, the remaining guards on the team will have to battle it out for one or two remaining starting spots.
In his first year, Fizdale will certainly be more focused on building a foundation for success than winning a ton of games right off the bat. The organization has the most invested in Ntilikina, Hezonja, Knox and Robinson, so it would not be surprising to see all four players have the flexibility to play through their mistakes and earn big minutes. However, Hardaway Jr. will certainly see extended run and if Mudiay or Burke start to shine, things could get interesting.
Keep an eye on this rotation, it’ll be a fun one to watch.
Andrews’ Prediction:
I’m pretty high on the potential of this Knicks squad. With a new coach and a few exciting young players, they could very easily find themselves fighting for the No. 8 seed in the East if they get a few lucky breaks and everything progresses as planned with Porzingis. However, the focus this year will be installing a new system and rebuilding the franchise’s culture under a new coach. I expect the Knicks to finish with the No. 10 or No. 11 seed this year. Don’t sleep on this team though, they could be on the rise.
Describe This Team In 15 Words Or Less
Potential potential potential, but it’s too early to tell who will stick.
So When Can I See Them?
The Wolves don’t face the Knicks until Feb. 22, when they travel to New York. Wolves fans will get to see the Knicks in person on Mar. 10. There’s a good chance Porzingis will be back for at least one of those matchups, so they should be fun ones.