If New York Knicks players want to be atop the pecking order of their respective positions, they will have to prove they deserve to be so this offseason. New Knicks head coach David Fizdale does not seem to care about the team's performances from last season and would rather judge his wards and their capacity to be a starter based on how the players approach their preparation for the upcoming 2018-19 campaign.

Via Marc Berman of The New York Post:

“I’m not even going to touch it yet,’’ Fizdale said. “I’m going to let them clash over it. Because I don’t know what’s going to be best for this group right now, because I don’t want to guarantee anybody anything because it totally contradicts the culture. Everything is about you keep what you kill. I want them to go out with a killer attitude and go into training camp trying to earn anything.”

Article Continues Below
More NBA News
Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kasparas Jakucionis (32) drives past Duke Blue Devils guard Isaiah Evans (3) in the second half at Madison Square Garden.
How Kasparas Jakucionis can contribute for the Heat right awayZachary Weinberger ·
VJ Edgecombe and Johni Broome on the 76ers court
Philadelphia 76ers 2025 NBA Draft grades for every pickMatty Breisch ·
Cooper Flagg talks to the media during the 2025 NBA Draft Combine at Marriott Marquis Chicago.
Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg reveals his favorite WNBA player’s gameAbdullah Imran ·
Former Howard University and Temple University star Steve Settle III signs an Exhibit 10 deal with the Miami Heat.
Miami Heat sign former Howard University star to contractRandall Barnes ·
Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kasparas Jakucionis (32) drives the ball against Tennessee Volunteers guard Chaz Lanier (2) during the first half at State Farm Center.
Kasparas Jakucionis’ ‘excited’ outlook on improving key traits with HeatZachary Weinberger ·
Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman looks at the score against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter of game five of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center.
Nuggets letting G League Rookie of the Year goRichard Pereira ·

Among the Knicks’ top holdovers from last season (at least for now, as the team might make some trades) are Enes Kanter, Courtney Lee, and Tim Hardaway Jr. who are top three remaining Knicks from 2017-18 in terms of starts. Kanter led the team with 71 starts out of his 71 game appearances in 2017-18.

Although David Fizdale likes to paint a picture of uncertainty in the starting lineup, perhaps just to light a fire underneath his players, Kanter is probably a lock to get his status as a starter back, considering the current center rotation of the Knicks. Joakim Noah is never going to be Joakim Noah again, and while Luke Kornet flashed some brilliance last season, he’s still far from Kanter’s level.

In any case, this offseason will be an interesting one for New York, which finished last season with a 29-53 record.