NY Knicks: Ranking the young core among other NBA teams
by James Ryder
RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, New York Knicks. (Photo by Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports)
The New York Knicks are out of the playoffs and will once again be heading to the lottery. Thankfully though, the team is going into the offseason with a lot of players on the roster who have the potential to provide a bright future for seasons to come.
Recently, SNY’s David Vertsberger came out with an article titled, “How the Knicks’ young core compares to the rest of the NBA.” Vertsberger briefly mentioned as many as 16 teams, New York included, and named each player that would count towards such a group.
For the Knicks’ youngsters, he listed RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes, Miles McBride, Rokas Jokubaitis, Jericho Sims, Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley, Mitchell Robinson, and Cam Reddish. That’s a lot of players, and they certainly have all looked like they have promise going forward with the franchise both as individual talents and as contributors to winning team basketball.
Vertsberger didn’t forget anyone. However, he did make one mistake in my opinion; naming New York as “just outside the top 10” in his estimation.
I will admit, the NBA is much more evenly spread out with exciting young players than I had assumed before reading his article. And yet still, I believe that the Knicks can stake to claim being among the top-10.
Not only will I be making that case in this article, but I will also be ranking the 10 young cores I think are the leagues’ best.
Vertsberger didn’t go into specific detail with any teams or players aside from New York, so I’ll be doing that as well. And like Vertsberger, I won’t be considering any contending teams. So, let us begin by looking at the bottom five.
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New York Knicks</a> are out of the playoffs and will once again be heading to the lottery. Thankfully though, the team is going into the offseason with a lot of players on the roster who have the potential to provide a bright future for seasons to come.</p>
<p>Recently, SNY’s David Vertsberger <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/04/14/new-york-knicks-ranking-young-core-among-other-nba-teams/"https://sny.tv/articles/knicks-young-core-compares-to-rest-of-nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">came out with an article</a> titled, “How the Knicks’ young core compares to the rest of the NBA.” Vertsberger briefly mentioned as many as 16 teams, New York included, and named each player that would count towards such a group.</p>
<p>For the Knicks’ youngsters, he listed RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes, Miles McBride, Rokas Jokubaitis, Jericho Sims, Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley, Mitchell Robinson, and Cam Reddish. That’s a lot of players, and they certainly have all looked like they have promise going forward with the franchise both as individual talents and as contributors to winning team basketball.</p>
<p>Vertsberger didn’t forget anyone. However, he did make one mistake in my opinion; naming New York as “just outside the top 10” in his estimation.</p>
<p>I will admit, the NBA is much more evenly spread out with exciting young players than I had assumed before reading his article. And yet still, I believe that the Knicks can stake to claim being among the top-10.</p>
<p>Not only will I be making that case in this article, but I will also be ranking the 10 young cores I think are the leagues’ best.</p>
<p>Vertsberger didn’t go into specific detail with any teams or players aside from New York, so I’ll be doing that as well. And like Vertsberger, I won’t be considering any contending teams. So, let us begin by looking at the bottom five.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/04/14/new-york-knicks-ranking-young-core-among-other-nba-teams/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Bottom three cores </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-126057" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/04/14/new-york-knicks-ranking-young-core-among-other-nba-teams/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2022%2F04%2F1351584584.jpeg" alt="Orlando Magic, Franz Wagner, Cole Anthony" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/04/1351584584.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/04/1351584584-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Cole Anthony, Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) – New York Knicks</p>
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<h3>Ranking NBA’s Young Cores – #10-8</h3>
<p><strong>#10 – Indiana Pacers</strong></p>
<p>Of the groups around the NBA, Indiana is one of many that doesn’t really jump off the page. The Pacers don’t have a multitude of interesting players like the Knicks or other teams do. However, they do have Tyrese Haliburton.</p>
<p>Since being shockingly swiped away from the Sacramento Kings, Haliburton averaged 17.5 points, 9.6 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.8 steals with 50.2/41.6/84.9 shooting splits. His borderline all-stardom bolsters a solid but TBD supporting cast.</p>
<p>Chris Duarte was an early rookie standout who’s got some serious shooting and scoring chops. Oshae Brissett and Duane Washington Jr. have had their explosives and Jalen Smith looks like a walking double-double. But it’s too early to say that this core should be any higher.</p>
<p><strong>#9 – Orlando Magic</strong></p>
<p>Orlando is finally rebuilding after years of mediocrity. You wouldn’t know it from the team’s record, but it’s looking very good so far.</p>
<p>Their depth of NBA talent is perhaps the best in the league. Moritz Wagner and Chuma Okeke are competent bench pieces, Jalen Suggs has been a good finisher and passer as advertised, and the frontcourt tandem of Wendell Carter, Jr. and Mo Bamba developed nicely this season and proved that they can start.</p>
<p>And finally, there are the guys with star potential. Franz Wagner and Cole Anthony have taken turns dominating for the club, and if Jonathan Isaac and Markelle Fultz get back to where they were before their injuries, watch out for the Magic.</p>
<p><strong>#8 – Atlanta Hawks</strong></p>
<p>A year ago, this team would’ve ranked much higher. But a lot of the shine has come off for last year’s Eastern Conference Finals runner-up.</p>
<p>Atlanta still has a couple of pretty good players, but the team’s firmly solidified themselves in the “role player” camp. Kevin Huerter is an offensive jack-of-all-trades type while John Collins does nearly all of his damage off-ball.</p>
<p>Then there’s De’Andre Hunter and Onyeka Okongwu. The former has been extremely disappointing in his third year, while the latter has finally gotten the chance to show that he can be your typical rim running center who also provides stellar defense.</p>
<p>And then there’s the one man who elevates this team from bottom-barrel scraper to nightly dark horse: Kevin Knox… I mean, Trae Young.</p>
<p>Chances are if you’re reading this, you’re a Knicks fan. I don’t need to tell you what makes him special.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/04/14/new-york-knicks-ranking-young-core-among-other-nba-teams/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Cores 7-4 </a>
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he is a free agent this offseason, and many teams (including the Knicks) are going to be looking to add him</a>.</p>
<p>Without Brunson, the Mavericks would be even lower. However, any team with Doncic has to be by default a top-10 squad. He’s fantastic with any supporting cast because he makes his teammates great, as evidenced by Dallas’ 52-30 record despite the other young players being Frank Ntilikina, Marquese Chriss, and Josh Green.</p>
<p><strong>#6 – Charlotte Hornets</strong></p>
<p>Much like the Indiana Pacers, the Hornets’ young core lacks depth. But they’re one of the frontrunners when it comes to star potential.</p>
<p>LaMelo Ball just made his first All-Star appearance this season at the age of 20. His favorite lob partner, Miles Bridges, has made such a leap (pun intended) in the last two years that he may be Charlotte’s next All-Star in the coming years.</p>
<p>P.J. Washington is a solid all-around big-man, and the rest of the roster has a couple of raw but promising guys in Jalen McDaniels and James Bouknight.</p>
<p><strong>#5 – New York Knicks</strong></p>
<p>Now, we arrive at the home team. New York ranks this high in my opinion because it has one of the best blends of potential and depth of any team on this list.</p>
<p>If the last three months are any indication, Barrett’s status as a star seems inevitable. Both Quickley and Toppin have also flashed such abilities.</p>
<p>If Quickley was consistent and if Toppin added both a solid handle and could consistently hit threes, and if both of them get the proper opportunities, the sky would almost be the limit.</p>
<p>Then there’s Reddish and Robinson, two players that have another level to reach given the right situation but are already capable of being high-level role players. And lastly, the rookie assembly of Grimes, McBride, and Sims already looks like they can be rotation pieces in the NBA.</p>
<p><strong>#4 – Detroit Pistons</strong></p>
<p>As the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Cade Cunningham was promised to be a franchise player who stuffs the stat sheet. So far, he’s lived up to that archetype.</p>
<p>And not only is Cunningham surrounded by several other very young players, but they have already shown they mesh well on the court. This is a huge deal because this group should have a lot of time to grow together and hopefully find success, much like the number one team on this list.</p>
<p>The acquisition of Marvin Bagley has paid off quickly. Saddiq Bey had one of the <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/04/14/new-york-knicks-ranking-young-core-among-other-nba-teams/"https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/nba-50-point-games-highest-scoring-outings-2021-22">12 50+ point games this season</a> and is a fantastic defending and rebounding wing.</p>
<p>Isaiah Stewart has looked to emulate Ben Wallace as a “Bad Boy Piston” and does a not too shabby job of it in his approach and numbers. This is a team that I can see going from dweller to playoff contender as soon as next year.</p>
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insane 20-5 without him</a>.</p>
<p>This machine is well oiled from top to bottom. On any given night, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane look like All-Stars themselves. Dillon Brooks is one of the best two-way role players in basketball.</p>
<p>Steven Adams is a shot-blocking and rebounding menace. De’Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson, and Tyus Jones can go for 20 on any given night without breaking a sweat.</p>
<p>They’re scarier than actual grizzly bears. And yet, Memphis is considered to be a dark horse contender. If the team can get through the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors to reach the NBA Finals, let’s try to not be too mind blown. It’ll probably happen sooner than you think.</p>
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