Boy, oh boy is it a good time to be a fan of the New York Knicks.
Julius Randle has blossomed into a legitimate two-way star, RJ Barrett is right behind him, and the rest of the team is really buying into head coach Tom Thibodeau's rough-and-tumble defensive philosophy.
There remains one big flaw, though: this team cannot set up others to save its life. Defensively, they're great. Offensively, they are trending in the right direction, and their playmakers can make plays. But the problem is that the team's playmakers generally tend to make plays for themselves, rather than for others. What the team really needs is a distributor and a floor general.
Well, if you're the Knicks, that meal ticket might just be around the corner, and the team's front office is salivating:
From earlier: Lakers’ Dennis Schroder is among the guards on NYK’s radar as the club plans for 2021 free agency: https://t.co/zUPz1roqLg
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) April 13, 2021
Now, Dennis Schroder is interesting for the Knicks. He has his flaws, sure, and might steer towards that self-creation habit followed by Randle and Barrett. But he's a winning player that you love to have on your team, but hate to see on the opposite end of the floor. He's a rock solid creator that can also get his own shot. Not the best fit, but he would be an upgrade from what New York has now.
However, the second name on the tweet's article should have Knicks fans humming:
If the Knicks are able to pry Lonzo Ball away from the Pelicans (among other suitors) during free agency this summer, they get precisely the player that they need. Lonzo Ball has grown into a competent shooter that isn't as good creating off the dribble. What he is good at is locking up other guards, rebounding, and passing.
Bingo.
Lonzo unlocks potential for the Knicks on both ends. He immediately becomes their best passer and perimeter defender, and is already used to distributing the ball to both wings (Brandon Ingram) and bruising bigs (Zion Williamson).
Take Ball, and this Knicks team is suddenly very scary in an offensive track meet if they choose to do so. Regardless, expect these rumors to only grow throughout the season and offseason.
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