There was much to be optimistic about ahead of this year’s campaign, and Knicks fans embraced the fact that their team was finally back after years of lackluster play.
New York’s season came to an end last Sunday night against the Toronto Raptors, with a 105-94 win. The game was an anomaly for the season, though, as this year’s Knicks greatly underachieved in the standings.
They officially finished 37-45, ranking them 11th in the Eastern Conference and inevitability resulting in them missing this year’s playoffs, even in the new expanded play-in format.
With so many question marks ahead of this upcoming offseason, there’s plenty of room for the team to make adjustments. At the same time though, there were plenty of positives to take away from this year and plenty of things to be optimistic about in New York this summer.
First and foremost, it was the eccentric play of the Knicks’ young brass, most notably to end the year. I believe that RJ Barrett deserves a slide of his own, so I’m going to focus on the pieces around him.
The past decade has been filled with prospective New York draft picks, dating back to Landry Fields and coming all the way up through Phil Jackson’s parting gift, Frank Ntilikina.
It’s fair to say that it’s been a series of misses for the Knicks, and the beginning of this season was ultimately looking to prove things hadn’t changed in New York.
To make matters worse, even as the year dwindled to an end, the Knicks still weren’t making adjustments to play their youth. It seemed this was all the proof fans needed to believe their players still weren’t ready.
Then, an injury to Julius Randle gave reason for the kids to break through, and they did so with emphasis.
New York Knicks</a>. Following notable successes for a rebuilding team the season prior, the franchise made moves last offseason to improve the roster and solidify themselves as a genuine playoff threat for years to come.</p>
<p>There was much to be optimistic about ahead of this year’s campaign, and Knicks fans embraced the fact that their team was finally back after years of lackluster play.</p>
<p>New York’s season came to an end last Sunday night against the Toronto Raptors, with a 105-94 win. The game was an anomaly for the season, though, as this year’s Knicks greatly underachieved in the standings.</p>
<p>They officially finished 37-45, ranking them 11th in the Eastern Conference and inevitability resulting in them missing this year’s playoffs, even in the new expanded play-in format.</p>
<p>With so many question marks ahead of this upcoming offseason, there’s plenty of room for the team to make adjustments. At the same time though, there were plenty of positives to take away from this year and plenty of things to be optimistic about in New York this summer.</p>
<h2>3 positive takeaways from the New York Knicks’ 2021-22 season</h2>
<p>First and foremost, it was the eccentric play of the Knicks’ young brass, most notably to end the year. I believe that RJ Barrett deserves a slide of his own, so I’m going to focus on the pieces around him.</p>
<p>The past decade has been filled with prospective New York draft picks, dating back to Landry Fields and coming all the way up through Phil Jackson’s parting gift, Frank Ntilikina.</p>
<p>It’s fair to say that it’s been a series of misses for the Knicks, and the beginning of this season was ultimately looking to prove things hadn’t changed in New York.</p>
<p>To make matters worse, even as the year dwindled to an end, the Knicks still weren’t making adjustments to play their youth. It seemed this was all the proof fans needed to believe their players still weren’t ready.</p>
<p>Then, an injury to Julius Randle gave reason for the kids to break through, and they did so with emphasis.</p>
<div class="embed ">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">THE OBI TOPPIN & IMMANUEL QUICKLEY SHOW</p>
<p>Toppin: 42 PTS* – 10 REB – 16/28 FG – 6/14 3PT<br>Quickley: 34 PTS* – 12 AST* – 10 REB</p>
<p>* Career-high <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/04/16/new-york-knicks-3-positive-takeaways-2021-22-season/"https://t.co/qcO6rVONfC">pic.twitter.com/qcO6rVONfC
<p>— KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/04/16/new-york-knicks-3-positive-takeaways-2021-22-season/"https://twitter.com/KnicksMSGN/status/1513326284918693888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>April 11, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/04/16/new-york-knicks-3-positive-takeaways-2021-22-season/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div>
<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/2022/04/16/new-york-knicks-3-positive-takeaways-2021-22-season/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> The team's young core </a>
</div>
<h3>
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<a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/04/16/new-york-knicks-3-positive-takeaways-2021-22-season/"https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/imagn-images/2022/04/18059922.jpeg">
wasn’t just the emphatic play of Immanuel Quickley</a>, it was a slew of New York neophytes proving they’re ready to be the pieces around Barrett going forward.</p>
<p>Obi Toppin blossomed when the opportunity finally came for the second-year forward to play valuable minutes in place of Randle.</p>
<p>Toppin, mainly notable for his <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/04/16/new-york-knicks-3-positive-takeaways-2021-22-season/"https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33332767/new-york-knicks-obi-toppin-wins-dunk-contest-one-handed-slam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">elite athleticism and dunking ability</a>, became an all-around threat over the past month. He became an offensive weapon, showcasing his explosive work at the rim with a newly found confidence outside the arch.</p>
<div class="embed ">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Obi Toppin over the last 5 Games:</p>
<p>27.2 PPG<br />6.2 RPG<br />2.8 APG<br />55% FG<br />46% 3P<br />86% FT</p>
<p>Finished the season strong. 🔥💪 <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/04/16/new-york-knicks-3-positive-takeaways-2021-22-season/"https://t.co/Qhyfj2uqSb">pic.twitter.com/Qhyfj2uqSb
<p>— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/04/16/new-york-knicks-3-positive-takeaways-2021-22-season/"https://twitter.com/TheHoopCentral/status/1513557761472167943?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>April 11, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/04/16/new-york-knicks-3-positive-takeaways-2021-22-season/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div>
<p>It would seem his launch into relevancy came from nowhere, but when asked by New York Daily News’ Stephan Bondy about his sudden success, Toppin <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/04/16/new-york-knicks-3-positive-takeaways-2021-22-season/"https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/ny-obi-toppin-playing-time-20220405-7a5uqkx335b2dnthkmuybvnlgi-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">had this to say</a>:</p>
<blockquote class="left ampstart-left">“When you’re in the game and you have the opportunity to get the reps in and mess up, and learn from those mess ups, that helps a lot. And these last couple games I’m starting to learn. I’m getting a lot more minutes and I’m starting to see little mistakes I’m doing, and I can easily fix those by learning. I wouldn’t know what to fix if I wasn’t put in those positions. So I feel like me having that opportunity is helping me a lot.”</p>
<p></blockquote>
<h2>The New York Knicks have a multitude of young stars</h2>
<p>Quickley and Toppin both made cases for becoming future NBA starters (and maybe even stars) this past month, but it takes more than stars to win championships; it takes the whole team. The Knicks may have found some key contributors to their future success this season as well.</p>
<p>One of my personal favorites from this year’s New York squad was Quentin Grimes. I was a massive fan of Grizzlies’ Desmond Bane out of college, and his game has now translated and contributed to Memphis’ contending franchise. I see a lot of that potential in Grimes from the relatively small sample size we got from him this year.</p>
<p>He was all-around solid night in and night out. Grimes was consistently a threat from 3-point range and an above-average defender. He showed play-making ability, something the Knicks severely lacked before Quickley’s big run. He was a fan favorite before his rookie year was halted by an injury.</p>
<p>New York has suffered tremendously when Mitchell Robinson has gone down with recurring injuries throughout his career. No offense to veteran captain Taj Gibson, but having to turn to him to log heavy minutes, like in the 2021 playoff series, has proven to be a major weak point for the Knicks.</p>
<p>With Nerlens Noel missing essentially the entire season as well, New York needed another solution. That solution was rookie center Jericho Sims.</p>
<p>Sims came out and proved to be everything Robinson is but with double the durability. With another small sample size, Sims excelled when given starter minutes. He’s a prolific rebounder and has great feet and athleticism for a player of his size.</p>
<p>With his raw talent, similar to Robinson out of college, Sims has shown several characteristics that could lead to his development in the NBA. When I think about Sims, I think of Robert Williams and the success that he’s had in his role for the Boston Celtics.</p>
<p>Robinson’s set to be an unrestricted free agent this year, so <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/04/16/new-york-knicks-3-positive-takeaways-2021-22-season/"https://dailyknicks.com/2022/03/20/can-jericho-sims-become-the-ny-knicks-starting-center-in-the-future/">look to Sims to become a potential pivotal rotation player on the horizon of the Knicks’ upcoming season</a>.</p>
<h2>A potential new rotation for the New York Knicks</h2>
<p>With Quickley earning a chance to prove he’s New York’s future point guard this offseason, and the unknown variable that is Cam Reddish, the Knicks have built the foundations of a starting rotation to surround Barrett next season.</p>
<p>If New York opened next season with a lineup consisting of…</p>
<ol>
<li>Immanuel Quickley</li>
<li>RJ Barrett</li>
<li>Cam Reddish</li>
<li>Obi Toppin</li>
<li>Jericho Sims</li>
<li>Quentin Grimes</li>
</ol>
<p>…I wouldn’t be upset. Put these guys on a more balanced scale of playing time with veteran assets and the Knicks could be at the very early stages of the success that Memphis and Boston have created within their franchises.</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/2022/04/16/new-york-knicks-3-positive-takeaways-2021-22-season/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> A new face of the Knicks </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-126340" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/04/16/new-york-knicks-3-positive-takeaways-2021-22-season/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2022%2F04%2F1387762482.jpeg" alt="New York Knicks, RJ Barrett" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/04/1387762482.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/04/1387762482-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">RJ Barrett, New York Knicks. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>2: New York found its franchise player</h3>
<p>There were legitimate talks last season on whether or not the Knicks should look to move Barrett for a star point guard, most notably Damian Lilliard. The feeling was Barrett had shown signs of becoming a great player but hadn’t yet taken the steps necessary to get there.</p>
<p>With the team in playoff contention, many fans debated on whether or not the time was now for New York to sell their top young asset and rush to “contention.”</p>
<p>Lucky for us, the front office proved to have more patience than many of us, and in 2022, Barrett’s proved that he’s more than a future great player; he’s the legitimate cornerstone of the Knicks.</p>
<h2>RJ Barrett had a huge third-year leap with the New York Knicks</h2>
<p>While Randle struggled to find his groove in 2022, Barrett found his (and more). The third-year southpaw has been arguably snuffed below the hype of his fellow 2019 draft stars, Zion Williamson and Ja Morant, since entering the league.</p>
<p>Both Williamson and Morant solidified themselves as NBA stars early into their young careers, both finding All-Star appearances and making their franchises overnight contenders.</p>
<p>Eager to have the same success in New York, Barrett’s development was watched through a scrutinized lens as he failed to show the same immediate stardom as his draft companions.</p>
<p>Still just 21 years of age, Barrett’s younger than teammates Toppin and Grimes, who were both selected in the draft the year after Barrett. It’s fair to say that Barrett hadn’t been given the best chance of earning his place and 2022 was the opportunity he had been yearning for.</p>
<p>Barrett relished his opportunity to take over the franchise while Randle struggled. In the new calendar year, a more confident Barrett averaged 23.6 points, 6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists.</p>
<p>An inconsistent 3-point threat, he greatly improved his ability from beyond the arch. But even more so, Barrett’s attacks to the rim were unbelievably confident. He expanded his range of playmaking as well, in lieu of the Knicks not having a true point guard this year.</p>
<h2>RJ Barrett is a symbol of the New York Knicks</h2>
<p>It was more than his on-court play that won over New York this year. Barrett <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/04/16/new-york-knicks-3-positive-takeaways-2021-22-season/"https://dailyknicks.com/2022/04/09/rj-barrett-comments-prove-meant-new-york-knicks-life/">proved he could stand up to the pressure and expectations of the city</a>. He basked in team wins and remained determined during their losses.</p>
<p>He was a catalyst of their late-season win streak and put together multiple 30+ point appearances throughout the campaign.</p>
<p>And even though he didn’t play in the Knicks’ final game, and the season was far from what fans had hoped, it was Barrett who stood confidently on the Garden floor and addressed the fans:</p>
<div class="embed ">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">RJ Barrett with a special message for the Knicks fam ⤵️ <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/04/16/new-york-knicks-3-positive-takeaways-2021-22-season/"https://t.co/rQKvxD84vh">pic.twitter.com/rQKvxD84vh
<p>— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/04/16/new-york-knicks-3-positive-takeaways-2021-22-season/"https://twitter.com/nyknicks/status/1513296496753528840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>April 10, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/04/16/new-york-knicks-3-positive-takeaways-2021-22-season/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div>
<p>That’s the spirit of a leader. That’s the embodiment of the player New York needs and deserves. The Knicks don’t own the greatest track record with their star players, but there is something inherently different about Barrett. In 2022, he proved he’s the player New York should be focusing on and building around.</p>
<p>In a dismal season filled with questions, Knicks fans can at least rest easy knowing who the leader of this team is going forward. New York has found their franchise player.</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/2022/04/16/new-york-knicks-3-positive-takeaways-2021-22-season/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Patience paid off </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-126341" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/04/16/new-york-knicks-3-positive-takeaways-2021-22-season/"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%2F1377178261.jpeg" alt="New York Knicks, Cam Reddish" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/04/1377178261.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/04/1377178261-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Cam Reddish, New York Knicks. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)</p>
</div>
<h3>3: The Knicks were not impulsive</h3>
<p>Rewind this year to the trade deadline, and the results of this season were still very much in the air. The team was teetering between a fringe playoff team and a lottery-bound team, and this left the franchise at an ultimate crossroads when it came to decisions about the roster.</p>
<p>Leon Rose has been very adamant that this administration would be tactical and patient with their decisions about the roster. Hindsight is 20/20, and looking back on the prior offseason adjustments, I don’t believe many were upset.</p>
<p>The team retained all the key players from the playoff run and improved their back court when they added Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier to the mix.</p>
<p>Obviously, we can now say things didn’t work out for this team, and adjustments may be made this summer. But I think it’s important to discuss the discipline the team showed when all else was failing.</p>
<h2>The New York Knicks had options at the 2022 trade deadline</h2>
<p>There’s no doubt that the Knicks received calls at the deadline about their players. It was rumored that the Lakers were interested in Cam Reddish and it’s a certainty that teams at least entertained the idea of bringing in a solid veteran like Alec Burks.</p>
<p>New York was at a crossroads. The team could’ve spent assets (first-round picks or young players) to engage in a trade for players to make them better immediately. This could have been Myles Turner, Jalen Brunson, or another veteran player on an expiring deal.</p>
<p>They could have sold assets. They could’ve sold cheap on Burks or Fournier to clear the roster of current veterans and cap space and admit this season was a failure. This was the route many fans wanted to see, as many longed and awaited to see a change to a younger rotation.</p>
<p>The Knicks opted to hold steady and not make any trades they might regret. They rode out the roster they built for 2022 until the very end, inevitably missing the playoffs. Rose remains optimistic that this team has all the right pieces and is on the right track to success, though.</p>
<div class="embed ">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Leon Rose: “We have to stick to the plan.…build one block at a time. We feel like we're set up really well….With regard to opportunities that may come along, we feel like we're very flexible & able to do that; but…we want to show patience…& continuing to develop what we have” <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/04/16/new-york-knicks-3-positive-takeaways-2021-22-season/"https://t.co/QXFonE0zuO">pic.twitter.com/QXFonE0zuO
<p>— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/04/16/new-york-knicks-3-positive-takeaways-2021-22-season/"https://twitter.com/NBA_NewYork/status/1513295363691659273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>April 10, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/04/16/new-york-knicks-3-positive-takeaways-2021-22-season/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div>
<p>So, why is all this a good thing?</p>
<h2>The New York Knicks have roster flexibility during the summer of 2022</h2>
<p>New York will enter this summer with a full hand of assets and all the chips on the table. The young players proved they’re fit to take on a bigger role in the upcoming season and have in turn made some veteran players potential liabilities. These liabilities become assets on the trade market.</p>
<p>The biggest difference between a midseason trade and an offseason trade is cap space. Team’s have significantly more flexibility, especially on draft night when rebuilding franchises become hungry to start swapping picks, and potentially take on heavy contracts to pay for it.</p>
<p>One could argue that the Knicks possess arguably the heaviest arsenal of assets ahead of the draft, and Rose’s comments about <em>opportunities </em>alludes to the idea that the team is open to the idea of running the card table this summer.</p>
<h2>Where should the New York Knicks go from here?</h2>
<p>It’ll take time to find out if their talk will be backed by progressive results. We’ve seen signs of promise from this team the past two seasons, and there are a lot of positives to take away from this sinking ship.</p>
<p>The Knicks are surely in a much better place than teams of years past and possesses considerable assets and opportunities to get better. It will now fall to Rose and his team to get this ship floating again in the summer of 2022.</p>
<div class="embed ">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="uQuoDtNPM0"><p><a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/04/16/new-york-knicks-3-positive-takeaways-2021-22-season/"https://dailyknicks.com/2022/04/13/new-york-knicks-3-ways-team-improve-time-2022-23-season/">NY Knicks: 3 ways the team can improve in time for 2022-23 season</a></p></blockquote>
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