The Knicks will reintroduce 2013 draft pick Tim Hardaway Jr on Monday, following a two year hiatus and a commitment of $71 million to call his own.
Still just 25 years old, Hardaway Jr. could very well fit in to the Knicks’ future plans. Bringing him back into the fold, after disregarding him so swiftly back in the summer of 2015, proves more than anything else that this team will be built much differently than Phil Jackson had intended.
Nevertheless, there are plenty of question marks around this team. While Hardaway Jr. the player may fit the Knicks’ forthcoming identity, his contract most certainly does not. After watching opposing teams overpay this year’s free agent class, the Knicks appeared to be waiting patiently. Not overspending when developing youth is a priority should be the outline for potential success to follow. That said, the eye-popping commitment to Hardaway Jr. made a big splash for all the wrong reasons.
Being cautious about big contracts would have made even more sense because the Knicks are without a full front office at the moment. Who knows if potential candidates would be in favor of such a move, especially considering it’s been met with a fair amount of criticism across the board? According to ESPN, David Griffin is only in the preliminary stages of discussing a position with the Knicks. Contract negotiations are yet to begin.
With that in mind, it’s a bit puzzling for the Knicks to be making moves like this. Of course, there’s a huge need to fill out the roster and very little time to do it as other teams retain the services of desirable players. Time is of the essence, but hiring an executive to help spread head the necessary decisions should have come first.
Coming to New York makes sense for Griffin. He was highly respected in Phoenix and was focused on a wealth of different facets, including building a playoff team with a clear-cut identity, all the while still keeping an eye on player development. In Cleveland, he reeled back in LeBron James and the rest is history. The Cavaliers have become a staple in The Finals and an NBA champion, but Griffin’s primary task was keeping James content and making the moves necessary to surround him with who he wanted.
The Knicks have a much greater need for someone who can change the culture. In building a contender, a team to be taken seriously, Griffin would have the opportunity to re-inject life into the franchise. He could redefine what it means to don orange and blue again. The opportunity to frame this team and be given credit for the success that may follow should be appealing when considering the hunger around this team and its city.
Whether or not Griffin would be given ultimate freedom and flexibility to succeed remains to be seen. Trusting him as General Manager to make basketball decisions, and allowing Steve Mills to essentially handle relationship building and other aspects of the business is the right way to go. But in order to succeed, Griffin may prefer to lean on other trusted members of a potential front office guild. Following their failures over the last decade, more Knickerbocker staffers aside from Phil Jackson need to be recognized as the blame. It’s a never a nice thing to see people lose jobs. The Knicks have even had stellar scouting efforts over the years, but this month’s dismal and winless Orlando Summer League squad should suggest that there’s wiggle room for some changes. Certain staffers are more valuable and knowledgeable than others. In order for Griffin to turn things around, he needs to be given the proper tools to do that. It’s time for changes.
But alas, actions speak louder than words. With a potential Carmelo Anthony trade on the horizon and plenty of other roster spots to fill, the Knicks first need someone to lead the way. The team should be amping up on their efforts of hiring Griffin (or someone else, for that matter) before more decisions are made in poor taste, or simply not by the person who fill be molding the rest of this squad in the near future.
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