Similar to the Cleveland Cavaliers run this season, the New York Knicks went on a tremendous campaign last year wherein they snatched the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference before succumbing to the Atlanta Hawks in five games. This season has been a disaster for the Knicks organization as they have slipped to 3 1/2 behind the Hawks for the last play-in spot.
The offseason acquisitions of Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier have not materialized as Walker and the Knicks have agreed that will sit out the final 23 games of the year. Moreover, Julius Randle's production has diminished from his Most Improved Player numbers last year. His leadership as the best player on the team has been lackluster, while the added disappointment has been on the failure of his teammates to elevate their performance as well. With that in mind, there is not much to lose if the Knicks experiment with Williamson on their roster playing in front of Madison Square Garden.
Style fits the city
After the New Orleans Pelicans match last season at Madison Square Garden, Williamson expressed his happiness of playing in an exciting atmosphere like in New York City. He added that aside from the city of New Orleans, his second favorite city to play in is New York. With the whole construction of the lineup with Randle as the best player, it could be plausible for the Knicks to negotiate on a package around him to get Williamson in the deal.
Williamson's highlight-worthy dunks and blocks would be magnified in New York, along with the massive upside he possesses compared to Randle. The ceiling of New York with Randle as their best player is the second round of the East playoffs, but with Williamson and RJ Barrett in the fold, the potential could is immense as a possible dark horse in the next five years. Additionally, the attractiveness for talented players in the free agent pool to play in a Knicks uniform would increase exponentially.
Relentlessness on the floor
For coach Tom Thibodeau's system, one must have that utmost effort and hustle every possession especially on the defensive end. Also, Thibodeau would utilize his core guys for a ton of minutes every game, thus Williamson will receive the minutes he wants from the Knicks coaching staff. The fearlessness and ferocity of Williamson when he constantly attacks the rim would be an incredible addition, instead of Randle who has the tendency to settle for jumpers on certain games.
The glaring weakness of Williamson as an on-ball defender could be addressed by Thibodeau as he has the asset of imparting a defensive system that would flourish in the league. The previous iterations of the Knicks are not one of the most talented bunch in the league, but they play hard every night as they are a tough out against any sort of opponent.
His value is at its lowest now
When Williamson is healthy and ready to go, one could easily forget that he could tally over 25 points, eight rebounds on over 60% from the field on any given night. Moreover, Joel Embiid also sustained injuries to his lower extremities at the early juncture of his career, but he still propelled himself to become arguably the best big man in the association right now.
It is not far-fetched for Williamson to have similar success to Embiid because of his generational talent and admirable demeanor. If the Knicks wait for him to blossom to an All-Star caliber player in New Orleans once again, it will require a bigger package if Williamson is even able in trade talks at that time. New York must be adamant to finally welcome a star and marketable athlete on their roster and pounce on that opportunity in the offseason.
Any sort of package that New Orleans would demand from the Knicks organization may seem ideal because there are no untouchable talents on the Knicks roster. Even if they may need to let go of young guys like Obi Toppin or Immanuel Quickley, that would be worth it if they will get Williamson in return. New York will likely not enter the playoffs this season, but their offseason moves are something for the fans to keep their eye on.
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