The Knicks were big losers in the 2019 free agency market.
After a couple decades of ineptitude, the team cleared cap space for a loaded free agent class. There were plenty of big names out there and the Knicks gave themselves enough room to sign two max contracts.
This summer was going to be one of love for Knick fans.
Alas, it was not to be.
The team was shunned by every big name. Instead, the organization opted for Plan B which was a litany of second tier talent on short-term deals.
This summer saw the merging of Lebron and AD with the Lakes, the Nets with a sweep of KD/Kyrie/Jordan and, this morning's announcement of, Leonard and George to the Clippers.
To make matters worse, the Knicks, who owned the worst record in the league, "only" got the third pick in the draft. They used that on R.J. Barrett, a nice consolation price but not Zion.
Once again, Knick fans can just throw in the towel.
Or can they?
This team is starting to gain some attention.
It starts with the aforementioned Barrett. Some are starting to say that he will have a better rookie year than Williamson. This is possible since it is likely he is surrounded by more talent. With Zion being the big name, it is easy to overlook the talent that Barrett brings to the table. Could we see a mirroring of 36 years ago when the #3 pick outpaced the top pick?
Believe it or not, there is also some talk of the Knicks being a playoff team. As odd as that sounds, they do play in the Eastern Conference. The mega-teams, outside the Nets, are out West. Toronto and Boston most likely took steps back with the losses of star players. Milwaukee is still a contender along with a few other teams. The drop off is rather quick outside the small handful of teams.
The Knicks made themselves a better team this offseason. They are now much better than a 17 win team. Are they good enough to make the playoffs? The health and development of the young talent will dictate that.
However, the NBA is a league of mega-teams. There are only a few that have any chance at the title. The next tier, though, does stand a good chance at the playoffs. Of late, the 6-8 teams, especially in the East, are not stacked teams. In fact, they are not much more than .500 teams.
Is this within the Knicks grasp? It certainly is possible.
For an organization that floundered through the past two decades, this would be a remarkable step for the front office.