The Knicks enter the 2019 season with dual goals in mind. They want to win as many games as possible to prove to the NBA that they have a proof of a concept to eventually become a winning team. If they can show they have a style of play that is attractive, can improve, win games and develop players then they will become a more realistic option for NBA free agents in the summer of 2021.
The parallel objective for the Knicks is to develop their young players. All of their free-agent additions this offseason, spare Julius Randle, are rent-a-players that can be jettisoned after only one season. Youngsters like RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, Kevin Knox, Dennis Smith Jr. and Frank Ntiikina are the players with long-term potential. Allonzo Trier and Damyean Dotson are in that category too but are also in the last year of their contracts.
In the ideal world, the Knicks give a lot of minutes to their valuable young players on their rookie contracts whilst also winning more games. In that scenario, they can win games and develop their youthful core side by side. But what happens if those two goals end up being in conflict with each other?
David Fizdale has his (in?)famous "keep what you kill" mandate when it comes to doling out playing time. It is earned in training camp and practice. There's a fair argument whether or not Fizdale was true to that motto last season, but if he is this season, how he distributes valuable minutes will be instructive to his true priorities.
The Knicks realistically have 14-15 players that believe they deserve minutes. No more than 11 can play regularly if Fizdale uses a normal regular-season rotation. There are going to be some players that just aren't going to play. There are others that will play minimal minutes off the bench. Only a handful can get starter minutes.
What happens if Fizdale decides the best chance to win games is if Marcus Morris plays 30 minutes per game over Kevin Knox? What if he thinks Elfrid Payton is better than Frank Ntilikina? What if he thinks Wayne Ellington and Reggie Bullock should play instead of Allonzo Trier and Damyean Dotson? What if he determines Bobby Portis is better today than Ignas Brazdeikis?
Some of those scenarios might seem unrealistic, but others aren't. There is a really small chance that Knox will be a better player than Marcus Morris this season. Morris deserves to start, but will he? Or will the need to develop Knox trump that priority?
There's a legitimate chance that RJ Barrett might not be the best fit in the starting lineup with Dennis Smith Jr., Marcus Morris, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson. Perhaps Damyean Dotson or Wayne Ellington will make it a more complete and balanced unit. It isn't out of the realm of possibility, but is there an actual justification for not playing Barrett starter minutes even if it means winning fewer games?
If the past is any indication, Fizdale is going to choose to go with the players he prefers regardless of their contractual status or future importance. There is no other way to explain the Emmanuel Mudiay obsession last year, or the time in the doghouse spent by Ntilikina and Dotson.
The yearly arguments that his decisions were motivated by improving the trade value of those veterans will be made, but it rarely comes to anything. Fizdale will have to tread very carefully. If he decides to prioritize some of the rent-a-players, he better win games or risk looking very foolish losing while relegating the young and talented players on the roster.
At the same time, choosing to play younger and less effective players over better veterans might not play well in the locker room. The veterans sitting might become disgruntled given they signed with the Knicks to play. The veterans that are still playing might stop believing the team is doing everything in their power to win games. In those situations, things can get ugly.
If those types of things happen, then developing a culture and proof of concept that is attractive to other NBA veterans will be extremely difficult. Fizdale's strength is supposed to be relating to players, and those skills will be tested no matter how he approaches the season. There are going to be unhappy players and Fizdale is going to have to make sure those players do not spoil what the Knicks are trying to build.
Perhaps Fizdale will stick with the veterans until it is clear the team isn't making a playoff run, which given the schedule, could be by the end of 2019. When push comes to shove, the youth under longer-term contracts must be given priority, whether it is sooner or later. But when the season starts, the Knicks need to win some games. They can't be a laughing stock any longer.
It is a precarious balance that Fizdale will have to strike. They have to win and the young kids need to play. It is not an easy one to strike. How he handles it will go a long way towards determining the Knicks' immediate and long-term future.
You can follow John on Twitter (@Schmeelk) for everything about the Knicks, Giants and the world of sports. You can find his Knicks podcast, "The Bank Shot," on most podcast platforms. Find it on Apple Podcasts here.
