You ask, we answer. The Post is fielding questions from readers about New York’s biggest pro sports teams and getting our beat writers to answer them in a series of regularly published mailbags. In today’s installment: the Knicks.
I feel that the Kevin Knox pick might become a bust. He is too slow to guard 2s and 3s. Should the Knicks attempt to play him at the 4, which requires him to gain yet more weight? — Andy
I’m told one of team president Leon Rose’s biggest regrets from the suspension of the season’s final 16 games because of the coronavirus was not getting a closer look at his enigmatic second-year forward. According to a source, Rose still doesn’t know what to make of Knox and doesn’t know if the 20-year-old is part of their future. That is despite Kentucky coach John Calipari’s warning not to trade Knox (Calipari and Rose are close.)
When Knox’s father said on Feb. 29, “All roses don’t bloom at the same time,’’ it was before Rose’s official hiring. There was an expectation within the Knox camp that when Rose took the reins on March 2, interim coach Mike Miller would be ordered to step up the minutes for Knox and make him a starter. That didn’t happen. Sources have indicated Knox’s inner circle was supremely frustrated. Rose decided to tread lightly in the new job, telling Miller to play the guys he thought would win him games. Miller didn’t believe Knox was ready to play winning basketball.
Activity on defense was Knox’s biggest issue, but Knicks metrics showed he improved slightly and started to block more shots. Though he can play three positions on offense (2, 3, 4), he doesn’t seem to have the defensive instincts to be as versatile on the other end. It’s a great point that having Knox, who is officially listed at 6-foot-7 and 215 pounds, guard slower power forwards might be the answer.
Nevertheless, it’s not the only concern. Knox lost his mojo on offense, scoring just 6.4 points per game. He showed signs of being an alert passer, but the Knicks didn’t put him in a position to be that guy.
“Not giving him a runway after the All-Star break was one of the odder things going on in the NBA,’’ one NBA personnel man said. “His motor isn’t high enough yet, but you needed him to play more.’’
In the fall, Rose has to make a decision on whether to exercise the fourth year of Knox’s rookie contract at $5.8 million. For now, Rose appears on the fence.
Can you please explain the differences in the roles of the general manager and the president of basketball operations for the Knicks?
— Jeffrey Ramey
The president serves as the leader of multiple aspects of a team, including marketing. A solid GM should be a basketball-scouting maven, immersed strictly in seeking roster moves, running the draft leading the scouting department and being a conduit to the coaching staff.
The GM must report to the president with his recommendation before a decision is made. In the Knicks’ case, indications were Steve Mills as president and Scott Perry as GM had some differences — particularly on trading Marcus Morris at the deadline. Now Mills is gone, and Knicks owner James Dolan believes Rose, despite no experience working for an NBA team, will be a better leader than Mills was. Rose did wonders heading the basketball department at Creative Artists Agency.
The former New Jersey high school point guard first intended to get into coaching before opting for law school. But Rose needs a basketball-scouting warhorse as GM. Keeping Perry around isn’t far-fetched.
“Remember, [Leon] is not a business guy running a team, but a basketball guy running a business,’’ one NBA source said. “He knows damn well what he’s doing.’’
Could Cole Anthony, who doesn’t look to pass, and RJ Barrett coexist in the same backcourt? — Alwyn Lerone Foy
It’s a good point. The Knicks would like a scoring point guard — which Anthony is — but also a game organizer/playmaker, and Anthony didn’t show that disposition in his brief run at North Carolina. Barrett, a slasher more than a catch-and-shoot guy, needs the ball a lot, as does Anthony.
“He has a knack for shot creation,’’ ESPN’s draft guru Fran Fraschilla told me about Anthony. “He’s athletic enough to play in the league as a starter and potentially a star. The one thing he doesn’t do is he doesn’t make guys around him better. It’s just the way he plays.”
Are there any thoughts about trading RJ and first-round draft picks to bring Donovan Mitchell to NY? — Dimos Kyrkopoylos
If Mitchell is placed on the trade block, Rose will be the first to know. Rose recruited Mitchell to CAA before the 20017 draft, though Ty Sullivan became Mitchell’s primary agent. A late lottery pick, Mitchell became an All-Star for the first time in February. Rose would love to have the Westchester product in the Knicks’ backcourt.
Submit your Knicks questions here to be answered in an upcoming Post mailbag
But after an initial report the relationship between Mitchell and Jazz teammate Rudy Gobert could be “unsalvageable” because of Gobert’s sloppy behavior before the COVID-19 shutdown, steps have been taken to make peace. For now.
The Jazz are trying to win a title with Gobert and Mitchell at the forefront, and would be more prone to trade Gobert than Mitchell. But the Knicks have a lot of assets to throw at Utah, so it’s not inconceivable to build a suitable package of Barrett, their 2020 lottery pick and a one of the two future first-rounders they acquired from Dallas in the Kristaps Porzingis trade.
Mitchell is scheduled to become a restricted free agent in 2021. If amends aren’t made, the Knicks could have a real shot at Mitchell in free agency — without giving up Barrett.