New York Knicks 2015 Offseason Grade

The Knicks gained some respectibility by drafting well and signing smart free agents this offseason.

IN:

Robin Lopez (Free Agency)

Derrick Williams (Free Agency)

Aaron Afflalo (Free Agency)

Kyle O’Quinn (Free Agency)

OUT:

Jason Smith (Declared FA)

Quincy Acy (Declared FA)

Alexey Shved (Declared FA)

Cole Aldrich (Declared FA)

Ricky Ledo (Declared FA)

Andrea Bargnani (Declared FA)

Shane Larkin (Declared FA)

Tim Hardaway (Traded to Atlanta on draft day)

DRAFTED:

Kristaps Porzingis – No. 4

Jerian Grant- No. 19

Guillermo Hernangomez- No. 35

OVERVIEW:

The New York Knicks had one of the more impressive drafts, passing on the risk of Emmanuel Mudiay in order to secure Kriztaps Porzingis with the No. 4 overall pick. The selection was booed, but this was a relatively naïve reaction from the Knicks fans as the Latvian is very talented. He is going to develop into a stretch 4, he has great perimeter shooting ability and a truly scary 7’ 6’ wingspan, and he is drawing fairly accurate comparisons to both Anthony Davis and Kevin Garnett. At the age of just 20, there is clearly a lot of room for improvement, but with the right coaching there is a high probability he can develop into the player New York needs.

Their next pick was utilized on Jerian Grant, a lengthy and rangy point guard out of Notre Dame who excels in both the pick and roll game and the transition game, something New York struggled with last year. In terms of spot up shooting, Grant ranked in the 92^nd percentile, and with the likes of Carmelo Anthony being a huge part of the offense he should get numerous opportunities to take those shots. Grant should develop into a steady point guard at an absolute minimum. He may not develop into a star, but he is an upgrade on Jose Calderon especially on the defensive end.

Little is known about Guillermo Hernangomez, but he is a smart player who still thrives despite being slightly undersized at the center position. His shooting ability is decent as shown by his 72 percent chip at the free throw line and he appears to have a lot of finesse. He probably won’t come over for a couple of years, but having a prospect who is playing at a competitive level is a very useful scenario for a second round pick.

At first glance, free agency was a huge disappointment for the New York Knicks. Their fans ‘expected’ the likes of Greg Monroe, LaMarcus Aldridge and Tobias Harris, but they ended up with Robin Lopez as their best pickup. Realistically, no marquee player was going to come to New York, the team was dismal in the 2014-15 season and there appears to be a serious lack of direction and leadership from the front office. Considering the circumstances, the Knicks did the best they could have done.

Lopez performed well for Portland, he was the ‘boring’ player in their expansive and exciting starting five last season, but he played well and his discipline allowed Aldridge to be more creative on the offensive end of the floor. Lopez shot 36 percent from mid-range, which suggests he may be a decent fit for the triangle offense that the Knicks will probably continue running. He was an important defensive anchor for Terry Stotts’ team — in Portland’s victories his defensive rating was at 95.4, but in games the team lost his rating was at a dismal 115.4. This suggests that when Lopez defended well, Portland defended well.

His former Blazers’ teammate, Aaron Afflalo was also a good pickup purely because it is a short term deal. He is a good defender, and he should immediately help the Knicks perimeter defence that allowed a three point percentage of 38 percent, which was by far the worst in the NBA. Afflalo shot poorly in Portland, but he struggled in their up tempo offense and could be a better fit in a system that allows him to create his own shot.

The useful skill set of Kyle O’Quinn could be extremely valuable in the short term, he is a terrific rim defender who can also shoot mid-range, a skill which will benefit Derek Fisher’s triangle offense over the course of the season. The Knicks lacked front court depth last year, and due to this they shipped a lot of points in the restricted area. O’Quinn immediately helps with this and he could easily become a defensive sixth man for the Knicks this year. He is also good in pick-and-roll situations, which should help Jerian Grant develop as he prefers to run the ball in pick-and-roll situations. He is an immediate upgrade on the likes of Lou Amundson and Andrea Bargnani, and he could be a player that develops enough to earn an even bigger contract in the future.

The Knicks are a franchise that get a lot of undeserved negativity, but their offseason was pretty good. The likes of Robin Lopez and Aaron Afflalo are smart pickups who give them offensive flexibility and improve them defensively. Their draft was arguably one of the best — Porzingis has great upside and Grant could develop into a serviceable point guard.

Offseason Mark: B