Kristaps Porzingis had his regular season cut short after suffering a torn ACL following a dunk past Giannis Antetokounmpo in early February. While the New York Knicks unicorn underwent season-ending surgery shortly after, the recovery from his procedure could take much longer than previously anticipated, which could lead this team to prepare for the very worst.

“I’ve been told everything from December to him being out for the season, so I don’t know what to expect on that,” owner James Dolan told Larry Brooks of The New York Post. “But we can’t just sit on our [expletive] while he’s away. We need to develop a team and then integrate him into it when he comes back.”

The Knicks are currently making a thorough search for a coach, and particularly one that can relate to young players like Porzingis.

But if he misses more than half of the 2018-19 season, there's a big chance that the Knicks could be looking at yet another rebuilding season without a 20-plus-point scorer to count on.

Dolan, who owns the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League, noted the differences of having a star player in both sports.

“Basketball is different than hockey,” said Dolan. “A great player in hockey is the difference, but a great player in basketball is the team. And I think we have a great player in Porzingis. We just have to build around him.”

Building around Porzingis, yet without him could prove tougher than it sounds, with shots and plays likely to be taken away from the team upon his return. Yet the organization will be forced to make the best decision for his health, regardless of how long it takes before he takes the court again.