Reviewing the 2019-20 New York Knicks

November 11th, 2020

by Alan Lu

The New York Knicks were all set to go a spending spree in the 2019 offseason, but they struck out on pursuing Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving, and instead, they ended up with a random set of free agents that was questioned by fans across the NBA.  The Knicks underperformed as usual, and they only won 21 of 66 games, as they were not invited to the bubble.  On the bright side, Julius Randle had a fairly solid season, and both R.J. Barrett and Mitchell Robinson look to be building blocks for the Knicks’ future.

Mitchell Robinson – B

2019-20 (NYK): 61 GP, 9.7 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.0 BPG, 74 FG%. 23.5 PER, 6.8 WS

He is a very athletic big man that had a solid second year in the NBA.  Robinson excelled as a finisher around the basket, and he also rebounded and defended well.  He is a talented young player that could project to be an elite rim protector, but he will need to improve his perimeter skills, and he will need to stop getting into foul trouble in the meantime.  Right now, he projects to be one of the best players on the Knicks’ team in 2021, and he will likely be their defensive anchor next season.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Starting center of the New York Knicks
Projected 2021 Rating: 2.5 stars (3.5 star potential)

R.J. Barrett – C

2019-20 (NYK): 56 GP, 14.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 2.6 APG, 40 FG%, 32 3PT%, 61 FT%, 30.4 MPG, 10.7 PER, -0.5 WS

R.J. Barrett was the third overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft, and he had a fairly decent rookie season for the Knicks.  He showed that he can score the basketball, and he also showed off some playmaking and rebounding skills.  He will need to continue to improve his overall game, and he will need to make more shots efficiently and defend better when he is on the court.  Barrett is an integral player to the Knicks’ future, and he could be a mainstay on their team for years to come.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Starting shooting guard on the New York Knicks
Projected 2021 Rating: 2 stars (3 star potential)

Julius Randle – B-

2019-20 (NYK): 64 GP, 19.5 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 3.1 APG, 46 FG%, 28 3PT%, 73 FT%, 17.5 PER, 2.7 WS

Julius Randle had a fairly solid season for the New York Knicks.  He put up a lot of points, and he also excelled as a rebounder for his team.  He was able to collect assists, though he also was fairly turnover prone as well.  Randle will need to improve his outside shot and defense, but he will likely get a lot of minutes for the Knicks in 2021.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Starting Power Forward of the New York Knicks
Projected 2021 Rating: 2.5 stars

Frank Ntilikina – B-

2019-20 (NYK): 57 GP, 6.3 PPG, 3.0 APG, 2.1 RPG, 39 FG%, 32 3PT%, 86 FT%, 20.8 MPG, 9.8 PER, 0.9 WS

Frank Ntilikina has become a local crowd favorite of Knicks’ fans, as he has won them over with his selfless, team-oriented play.  He possesses solid playmaking and defensive skills, though he will still need to improve his ability to shoot and score the basketball.  Most likely, he will be a backup point guard for the Knicks in 2021, but he could help them win a few games next season.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Rotation player
Projected 2021 Rating: 2 stars (2.5 star potential)

Kevin Knox – D+

2019-20 (NYK): 65 GP, 6.4 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 36 FG%, 33 3PT%, 65 FT%, 17.9 MPG, 8.3 PER, 0.2 WS

After having an up and down rookie season, Knox appeared to take a step back or two in his development as he regressed this year, and he did not shoot the ball well or excel in many facets of the game.  Knox did a better job of blocking shots, but the tall, athletic forward struggled to shoot or defend consistently for the second year in a row in the NBA.  He also saw his playing time drop considerably, and it’s a wonder if he is still considered to be part of their core for the future.  Time will tell, but Knox will have to improve quickly to get on board with the Knicks’ program.   

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Rotation player on the New York Knicks
Projected 2021 Rating: 1.5 stars (2.5 star potential)

Maurice Harkless – C+ (B with the Clippers, D+ with the Knicks)

2020 (TOT): 62 GP, 5.8 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.1 APG, 50 FG%, 35 3PT%, 59 FT%, 23 MPG, 9.8 PER, 2.7 WS
2020 (LAC): 50 GP, 5.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 52 FG%, 37 3PT%, 57 FT%, 22.8 MPG, 9.7 PER, 2.3 WS
2020 (NYK): 12 GP, 6.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.7 APG, 45 FG%, 28 3PT%, 63 FT%, 23.8 MPG, 10.1 PER, 0.4 WS

Maurice Harkless played well in his role for the Los Angeles Clippers prior to being traded midway through the season to the New York Knicks this season.  He excelled as a floor spacer, rebounder, and defender, and he was one of the better on-ball defenders prior to the trade. 

With the Knicks though, he didn’t play nearly as well, and it exposed his weaknesses as a player.  Harkless is not really a shot creator nor a primary distributor, though he will move the basketball.  His shooting percentages went down, as he played on a team where he was not able to get nearly as many open looks to shoot the ball.  Next season, he should look to join a contender, and he would be well-suited to a 3 and D type of role in an NBA team’s rotation in 2021.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Rotation player
Projected 2021 Rating: 2.5 stars

Side note: Harkless will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2019-20 season.

Elfrid Payton – C+

2019-20 (NYK): 45 GP, 10 PPG, 7.2 APG, 4.7 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 44 FG%, 20 3PT%, 57 FT%, 27.7 MPG, 16 PER, 1.7 WS

Elfrid Payton generally excelled as a playmaker, rebounder, and defender, but he really struggled to shoot or make shots for the Knicks this past season.   His shooting percentages were way down, and he may have to fix his jump shot.  On the plus side, his other skills are fairly solid to the point that he could still be a serviceable role player in the NBA even if he doesn’t improve his jump shot.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Rotation player
Projected 2021 Rating: 2 stars

Taj Gibson – C

2019-20 (NYK): 62 GP, 6.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 58 FG%, 16.5 MPG, 16.1 PER, 2.6 WS

Taj Gibson was part of the influx of veterans that the New York Knicks had signed, but not everyone was going to get the amount of playing time they desired.  Gibson stared many games, but didn’t play nearly as much as he is accustomed to.  His rebounding and defense suffered as a result of that, but Gibson still excelled as a finisher around the basket.  Unfortunately, his decision to sign with the Knicks just doesn’t look to be very wise aside from them having paid him plenty of money, but he would have had more utility to a contending team.  Most likely, he will be a rotation player either with the Knicks or another team next season.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Rotation player
Projected 2021 Rating: 2 stars

Bobby Portis – C

2019-20 (NYK): 66 GP, 10.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.5 APG, 45 FG%, 36 3PT%, 76 FT%, 21.1 MPG, 14.6 PER, 1.9 WS

After having a very good season in 2019, Bobby Portis got paid by the Knicks to join their franchise.  Unfortunately, there was a logjam in their front court, and so he didn’t play nearly as much this season, which resulted in him not shooting the three-ball or rebounding the ball quite as well as hoped.  Still, he showed that he was able to make shots from the floor, and also pass the basketball.  He’ll need to improve his defense and get his rebounding up to where it used to be, but Portis will likely be a solid role player in the NBA next season.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Rotation player
Projected 2021 Rating: 2 stars

Side note: Portis has a team option at the end of the 2019-20 season.

Damyean Dotson – C

2019-20 (NYK): 48 GP, 6.7 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 1.2 APG, 41 FG%, 36 3PT%, 67 FT%, 17.4 MPG, 10.9 PER, 0.9 WS

Damyean Dotson had a stellar second year with the Knicks in 2019, but after the influx of veterans that signed in the offseason, there was a logjam in the backcourt as well, and Dotson found it tougher to get nearly as much playing time this season.  He still shot the ball fairly well, but he struggled more to draw or make free throws, and he didn’t rebound or defend very well when he was on the court.  Still, he is an athletic shooter whose ability to space the floor could allow him to get plenty of minutes with the Knicks in 2021.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Rotation player
Projected 2021 Rating: 2 stars

Side note: Dotson will be a restricted free agent at the end of the 2019-20 season.

Reggie Bullock – D

2019-20 (NYK): 29 GP, 8.1 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 1.4 APG, 40 FG%, 33 3PT%, 81 FT%, 23.6 MPG, 9.3 PER, 0.5 WS

After having played well for the Detroit Pistons in 2019, he was traded to the Lakers in a midseason trade, and Bullock has had trouble replicating his success ever since.  His shooting percentages have dropped, and this season was no different with the Knicks.  He is a one-thing shooter who hasn’t been shooting the three-ball that well recently, and that may be a problematic trend, especially if he doesn’t improve in the other facets of the game next season.  On the plus, he is a wing player that has some athleticism, but he will need to focus on his three-point shot and defense in 2021.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Fringe rotation player, backend roster player
Projected 2021 Rating: 2 stars

Wayne Ellington – D

2019-20 (NYK): 36 GP, 5.1 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 1.2 APG, 35 FG%, 35 3PT%, 85 FT%, 15.5 MPG, 8.5 PER, 0.4 WS

Wayne Ellington has long been known as a sharpshooter, as his primary specialty lies in his ability to knock down outside shots.  He has built himself a long NBA career due to possessing solid outside shooting skills.  That said, he didn’t really shoot the ball nearly as well this year with the Knicks, and he especially struggled to make two-point shots in 2020.  He didn’t really fare well in many other areas, but his ability to make outside shots will likely help him compete for a spot on a team’s rotation in 2021.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Fringe rotation player, backend roster player

Projected 2021 Rating: 1.5 stars

Dennis Smith Jr. – F

2019-20 (NYK): 34 GP, 5.5 PPG, 2.9 APG, 2.3 RPG, 34 FG%, 30 3PT%, 51 FT%, 15.8 MPG, 7.4 PER, -0.9 WS

After having had 1 ½ promising seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, he was packaged in a surprise trade to the New York Knicks after his new team decided to abruptly part ways with superstar center, Kristaps Porzingis.

Since then, Smith has failed to live up to the lofty expectations placed on him as a result of that trade, and he has been the opposite of a fan favorite in New York.  Smith is coming off his worst season as an NBA player this year, and there are plenty of people that would like him to be off the Knicks’ roster. 

He shot the ball really poorly in 2020, and there are concerns that his shooting stroke may be broken, that his work with a prior shooting coach only served to make it worse, not better.  Smith has never really been a great defender, but now that he really can’t shoot the basketball, and he is currently considered to be one of the worst offensive players in the league.  Perhaps what may be best for him would be a change of scenery in 2021, and the former 2017 lottery pick could use a team that would be more welcoming of him onto their roster.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Depth guard, fringe roster player
Projected 2021 Rating: 1 stars (2 star potential)

Ignas Brazdeikis – D

2019-20 (NYK): 9 GP, 1.9 PPG, 27 FG%, 11 3PT%, 80 FT%, 3.2 PER, -0.1 WS

He had a solid freshman season for Michigan, and it was thought that the offensively skilled forward could be a sleeper pick to succeed as a rookie in the NBA.  However, the Knicks added many veteran players that created a logjam, and Brazdeikis was unable to see the floor that much.  He didn’t play well in limited minutes, and he’ll have to hope that he can find a way to crack the Knicks’ rotation in 2021.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Depth wing player, fringe roster player
Projected 2021 Rating: 1 star (2 star potential)

Theo Pinson – D- (D- with the Brooklyn Nets)

2019-20 (BRK): 33 GP, 3.6 PPG, 1.7 APG, 1.6 RPG, 29 FG%, 19 3PT%, 94 FT%, 11.1 MPG, 5.2 PER, -0.6 WS

The former North Carolina graduate had a decorated collegiate career, as he helped his team win the National Championship in 2017, and he also had a very good senior season in 2018.  He’s an athletic point forward that possesses intriguing playmaking and defensive skills, but he hasn’t translated his potential into solid NBA production yet.  He’s been a good player in the G-League, but he hasn’t found his shooting stroke in the NBA.  Pinson will need to shoot a lot better than he has in the league, otherwise he might end up in the G-League or overseas for the bulk of his professional career.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Depth wing player, fringe roster player
Projected 2021 Rating: 1 star (2 star potential)

Side note: Will be a restricted free agent at the end of the 2019-20 season.

Kenny Wooten (Two-Way) – grade: Incomplete

2019-20 (NYK): DNP
2019-20 (NBA G-League): 27 GP, 7.7 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 3.6 BPG, 65 FG%, 24.9 MPG, 19.2 PER, 2.3 WS

Kenny Wooten did not play a single game in the NBA yet despite being on a two-way contract, but he showed in the NBA G-League with the Westchester Knicks that he could be a rim protector in the NBA.  He can finish plays around the basket, rebound, and block shots, and he is also very athletic.  He’ll need to be more assertive on offense, stay away from foul trouble, and prove that he can hang in the NBA, but his encouraging numbers in the G-League suggest that he may what it takes to play and stick around in this league.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Depth big man, fringe roster player
Projected 2021 Rating: 1 star (2 star potential)

Jared Harper (Two-Way) – D-

2019-20 (PHX): 3 GP, 0.7 PPG, 25 FG%, 2.7 MPG, -5.3 PER, 0 WS
2019-20 (NBA G-League): 33 GP, 20.8 PPG, 5.7 APG, 2.7 RPG, 41 FG%, 36 3PT%, 79 FT%, 17.6 PER, 0.6 WS

He was the starting point guard on Auburn’s surprise run to the Final Four in 2019, and he then entered the draft, but went undrafted that year.  Harper is an athletic, diminutive playmaker that can score and distribute the basketball, but he will need to improve his rebounding and defense, and also show that he can hang in the NBA.  Harper hasn’t been given an extended opportunity in the NBA to prove himself, but there’s hope that he could be a rotation player someday in this league.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Depth guard, fringe roster player
Projected 2021 Rating: 1 star (2 star potential)

Surprising Cuts:

Allonzo Trier – D
2020 (NYK): 24 GP, 6.5 PPG, 48 FG%, 36 3PT%, 79 FT%, 12.1 MPG, 14.5 PER, 0.5 WS

Allonzo Trier was a feel-good story in the NBA in 2019, and he was an undrafted rookie that played his way from a two-way contract with the New York Knicks into a standard contract, and he is a very athletic swingman that can shoot and score the basketball. He provided a scoring punch in 2019 that suggested that he could one day even perhaps be a rising star, and he surely looked to be a keeper after his rookie season.

However, the narrative changed quickly in his second season. As Trier once has failed two PED tests that led to suspensions in college, there were questions about his character coming into the 2018 NBA Draft, and he didn’t quelled them with his on-court play during his time with the Knicks. He’s gained a reputation for being selfish and for not passing the ball enough, and the “Iso-Zo” moniker surely seemed to rub Knicks’ fans the wrong way. In addition, he went from being a promising defender as a rookie to a lackadaisical defender in his second-year, and while inconsistent playing time may have a little to do with his regression as an NBA player, there were reports that the veterans were put off by his attitude and on-court behavior. When new Knicks’ president Leon Rose made the decision to release Trier, it marked an expected but tragic end to the New York Knicks’ chapter in Trier’s career, and we’re left wondering if Trier can shed the selfish label to be able to latch onto another NBA team.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: NBA G-League/Overseas, maybe some NBA team takes a chance to sign him
Projected 2021 Rating: 1.5 stars (2.5 stars potential)

Head Coach:

Tom Thibodeau – 2020 season grade: Incomplete
2020 (N/A): 0-0
Head Coaching Career: 352-246, 24-32 in the playoffs

He is a gruff, defensive-minded coach that will aim to install a gritty approach to the Knicks, and Thibodeau was Doc Rivers’ lead assistant on the famed 2008 Boston Celtics’ team.  He is known to win plenty of regular season games, but his teams have tended to fall short in the playoffs, as they have won 9 games in 2010, and he has failed to win as many postseason games in a year ever since.

The concerns about Thibodeau are that he tends to log his starters heavy minutes, which can wear them down, and late in his years with the Chicago Bulls, his primary starters, Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, and Joakim Noah all got hurt and injured later in their careers.  Another concern is that his offenses tend to not be very creative, as he tends to run an isolation-heavy offense for his team.   For the Knicks, if he can get his team to play team-oriented basketball and improve defensively, without wearing down, that could help serve them well next year.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Head coach of the New York Knicks
Projected 2021 Rating: 2 stars

Former Head Coaches:
David Fizdale – F
2020 (NYK): 4-18
Career: 71-134, 2-4 in the playoffs

The Knicks did not get off to a good start at all, and Fizdale won just 4 of 22 games before getting canned this season.  He juggled a lot of players’ playing time, and his penchant for playing Dennis Smith Jr. so many minutes in spite of his horrendous shooting had to have earned the chagrin of many New York Knicks’ fans. 

Fizdale was known for his peculiarly odd sayings such as “Take that for data!” and for getting Marc Gasol to shoot three-point shots in Memphis. His anti-data sentiment would place him at significant odds with the basketball analytics’ community, but that he was able to get big men to shoot threes would theoretically also be a pro-analytics move at the same time.

When Fizdale was coaching in Memphis, his approach had won over Grizzlies’ fans, and he aimed to instill some grit and grind again in New York.  However, after a tumultuous start for the Knicks, it was time for them to consider a new approach and a new coach, even if that meant in fact, listening to data, and analyzing it meticulously to try to create better results for their team.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Head coach either in college, the G-League or overseas, or assistant coach or a front office role on an NBA team somewhere
Projected 2021 Rating: 1.5 stars

Mike Miller – 2020 season grade: B-

2020 (NYK): 17-27
Head Coaching Career: 17-27

After Fizdale was fired, Mike Miller (not the NBA player that won 2 titles with Miami) was hired to be the interim head coach of the Knicks.  Miller actually did a good job in his stead, as he got the team to win 17 of 44 games, and he got them to be competent, and also play cohesive, team basketball.  After managing to somewhat salvage a lost season, the Knicks hired new management, and Mike Miller was replaced as the head coach at the end of the 2020 season.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Assistant coach somewhere in the NBA probably
Projected 2021 Rating: 2 stars

2019-20 New York Knicks, season grade: D-

The Knicks’ 2020 season got off to a very bad start, as they won just 4 of 22 games, and they had trouble sorting out their lineup, or which point guards to play early on.  There didn’t seem to be a rhyme or reason as to who would get playing time, and they then made a coaching change shortly after that.  Afterwards, the lineup become more settled as the year on, and the Knicks finally were a competent team later in the season. The Knicks didn’t do many things well in 2020, as they struggled to shoot or make shots, and they also did not pass the ball nor defend well.  They did do a good job of rebounding the basketball.  

The Knicks will build their team around R.J. Barrett and Mitchell Robinson, and it is absolutely imperative that those players continue to grow and develop as overall players.  They also will be making three draft picks in the 2020 draft.  The Knicks may not be likely to make the playoffs in 2021, but they could aspire to have hope again if their top young players can ascend to potentially make All-Star teams in the future.

New York Knicks’ Projected 2020-21 NBA Rotation

Projected Starters:
C Mitchell Robinson
F Julius Randle
F Maurice Harkless* (UFA)
G R.J. Barrett
G Elfrid Payton

Key Reserves:
C Bobby Portis
F Taj Gibson
The 8^th overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft
F Kevin Knox
G Frank Ntilikina

Others competing for a spot in the rotation next season:
G Reggie Bullock
G Wayne Ellington
The 27^th overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft
G Dennis Smith Jr.

Other players that are currently projected to be on their next season’s roster:
F Ignas Brazdeikis
The 38^th overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft
G Theo Pinson
C Kenny Wooten (Two-Way Contract)
G Jared Harper (Two-Way Contract)

Players that will be Restricted Free Agents:
Damyean Dotson

Players that will be Unrestricted Free Agents:
Maurice Harkless

Projected Players Cut from Next Season’s Roster:
Theo Pinson, Jared Harper

NBA Draft Picks:
#8, #27, #38

Projected Offseason Plan for the Knicks:

The Knicks are building their team around R.J. Barrett and Mitchell Robinson, and they will be needing to draft more cornerstones to build their team.  Most likely, they will look to draft either a point guard or a forward to surround them, but in the short term, Julius Randle has been the Knicks’ leading scorer and rebounder, so it’s doubtful that they would look to select a power forward in the draft.  Therefore, some of the candidates at that range could be players such as Tyrese Haliburton, Killian Hayes, Isaac Okoro, and Devin Vassell, and they could look at other players if they slip to their spot in the draft. The New York Knicks are also rumored to really want Obi Toppin, a very skilled, scoring big man from Dayton whose offensive versatility and solid athletic gifts could make him a very intriguing pick at 8, and he was the best player on one of the best teams in college basketball, but there are questions about his defense at the NBA level.

Because Bobby Portis is on a team option and Taj Gibson will be on a partially guaranteed contract for the 2020-21 season, Spotrac projects that the Knicks will have money to spend, and if so, the Knicks could elect to use that in any number of ways, or they could save their money and roll it over for next year.

Expected Regular Season Win-Loss Record in 2021*: 28-44, 11^th in the Eastern Conference

Expected 2021 Season Outcome: They will compete for the 8^th seed in the East, but likely will miss the playoffs.

(* – The asterisk denotes that the expected regular season win total is adjusted for the 72 game schedule that the NBA will play for the 2020-21 season.  The initial projection for the Knicks was for them to get 32 wins in an 82-game season.  Also, the projected record does not take into account for the NBA draft or free agency, as those events have not happened yet, so this is just a preliminary projection.)

In case if you need the rubric for my player rating system of projecting NBA players for the 2020-21 season, here is the link. In addition, Basketball-Reference, RealGM, and Spotrac were vital information sites that I used to look at player and team statistics, as well as contract information.

Side note: Also, the letter grades attached to the player name was my grade for their 2019-20 season, as it is my judgment of their performance and whether or not they met or exceeded my expectations, and didn’t have much bearing on my projection of how they will perform for the 2020-21 NBA season.