Knicks training camp begins with pressures
New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau against the Toronto Raptors at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, April 10, 2022. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
It’s hard to imagine that there even was an offseason for the Knicks. They missed out on the playoffs last season but gained far more attention for their summer work — signing Jalen Brunson to solve their point guard troubles and chasing, unsuccessfully, a trade for Donovan Mitchell.
The Knicks will convene at their training site Tuesday morning to begin training camp unburdened by the high expectations they may have brought into last season but saddled with plenty of questions — and if the answers aren’t positive, it could signal a far more uncertain future for the leadership of the franchise.
The biggest move the Knicks made this summer was correcting their own contractual and chemistry issues — moving out Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel and Kemba Walker and shedding this year’s lottery pick, too. In return, they got an assortment of highly protected picks and the cap space to sign Brunson and Isaiah Hartenstein.
None of that eased the pressure on the front office. Saturday marked the one-year anniversary since Leon Rose held the only news conference of his tenure as team president, and with the camp set to convene, instead of having an executive speak to the media (and fans), Rose held another choreographed session with the team network.
But the pressure looms up and down the organization. Coach Tom Thibodeau, one season removed from earning NBA Coach of the Year honors, had factions of the front office trying to push him out last season, blaming him for the roster’s failings. And the players? Julius Randle absorbed much of the blame, and rumors of the team trying to move him have followed him and still follow him even as camp is beginning.
The biggest questions
1. Is Brunson the answer?
He was solid all season and spectacular at times for the Mavericks, serving as the second piece alongside Luka Doncic. The Knicks have had problems finding a point guard to serve as a floor general for years now, and Brunson, while not a superstar, does fill the bill as a leader — which could be as important as his considerable skills. Can he take the ball out of Randle’s hands and help get the most out of Randle, RJ Barrett and the rest of the team? Brunson and Derrick Rose should make the game easier for everyone.
2. Can the Knicks count on Derrick Rose?
Speaking of Rose, the unheralded reason for the team’s drop from the No. 4 seed to the lottery was his health issues. He spoke on the team’s Twitter account this past week about feeling healthier than he has in years, healed up after ankle surgery that limited him to 25 games and back to his rookie playing weight of 195 pounds. His presence could make the second unit fly.
3. Is Thibodeau under pressure?
It was no secret last season that within the organization, some fingers were pointed at Thibodeau as he relied on the likes of Burks and Randle while the team stumbled. He limited opportunities for Cam Reddish, acquired for a first-round pick, and fan favorite Obi Toppin. But asked if Thibodeau is under pressure this season, Leon Rose insisted in an interview on the team network, “I don’t see it that way at all. The way I see it is we’re continuing with the plan . . . Thibs, OK, two years ago, Coach of the Year and he’s been twice Coach of the Year in his career. I’m so excited about this team and . . . one of the reasons I’m so excited is having Thibs lead the group.” There were rumors last season that if Thibodeau was under pressure, so was the front office, so they’re in this together.
4. This is the team — or is it?
The efforts to make a trade and reshape the roster in a major way fell short this summer, but when the Knicks finally backed away from the pursuit of Mitchell, they did walk away with the considerable draft capital they have compiled. Even with camp starting, they are still looking. Asked if the shop is still open, Rose said, “Absolutely.” The Knicks are light in star power at the top but do have depth with some young talent in addition to 11 first-round picks over the next seven drafts.
Silence is golden?
Rose is continuing the policy of having the Knicks speak only in NBA-mandated accessibilities (their MSG partners, the Rangers, do not adhere to these policies) and now has gone a year without answering questions from the media, other than the team network. While no other team plays by the rules that the Knicks do, is it a big deal? Not really. Thibodeau speaks regularly as the face of the franchise and no reporter has ever had a blank page because of the silence from the front office. But is it a good policy? The NBA teams that are among the best — Golden State and Milwaukee, for example — are the most accessible. The Knicks have been, well, not one of the best. Mostly, it is bad for fans who deserve to hear from franchise leadership and not in scripted questions and answers.
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
