This sounds a bit odd in light of the New York Knicks whiffing on any high end free agents. To make matters worse, two of the guys the Knicks were rumored to be interested in, along with someone who played for them last year, signed with Brooklyn.
How does all this add up to a good free agent season?
It all deals with context. The upheaval over the Knicks moves were because of expectations set forth. If the conversation was framed properly, things would be a lot different.
The Knicks won 17 games last season. They had the worst record in the NBA. This means the organization is at the bottom of the pecking order.
On the plus side, the organization has some fine young talent. The plan all along was to develop these players and build around them. This is a sound plan for an organization that spent much of the last two decades trying to win with hired guns.
The signings that took place last week are in line with this plan. All the veterans brought in are known for their willingness to work with younger players. This should help the development of these guys.
Of course, there is some talent there too. One who is not truly a veteran is Randle. This is another piece that fits into the younger talent pool. A first round draft pick a few years back, he simply has not panned out. The Knicks realize there is talent there so the hope is to pull it out of him.
The challenge with all this is none of this fits with the mantra that was being spewed. James Dolan went on the radio in March talking about the Knicks and how they were contacted by guys saying they wanted to play in the Garden. This arrogance is another issues the Knicks need to temper.
Reality is that nobody cares about Madison Square Garden. This is a players league and they have different criteria outside of some historic arena where the magic is since departed. They want stability, a chance to win, the opportunity to play with their friends, and an environment that can feed their other interests.
The Knicks do not offer this.
When you have an owner having an ex-player, one who is beloved, arrested at a game, this shows the circus is still in town. Max contract free agents in the NBA do not want to participate in the circus.
After finding out they were not in the sweepstakes for Durant, the Knicks did a good job transitioning to Plan B. Again, if the conversation was framed properly, there probably would not be the outrage among fans. Alas, this is the Knicks so screwing things up is what they excel at.
Now that the most notable free agent signings are past, it is time to look ahead. Make no mistake, the Knicks are a better team due to these signings as compared to last season. This team should improve a great deal on the 17 wins. Does this mean playoffs? Not likely.
What it means is the team should come in around 33-35 wins. This is enough to bring some respectability to the team on the court. By signing these guys to two year deals, the Knicks will have plenty of cap space in a couple seasons, just when their young guys should be hitting their strides.
The plan is sound, the message was not.
At least they didn't compound the problems with a repeat of the Amare situation from a number of years ago.