Leon Rose spoke publicly for the first time on Wednesday, nearly three a half months after he was officially hired as the Knicks’ President. He was interviewed by Mike Breen on “MSG 150 at Home” on MSG Network for just under a half hour. Here are the major quotes from Rose’s interview that may give Knicks fans some clue as to what is plan is.
Rose declined to discuss his personal draft philosophy, indicating he hasn’t reached the point where he has developed one. He said he will rely on his group of executives, and by the time the draft comes in four months, he should be more comfortable in making a final decision.
Rose did discuss the draft class itself, and echoed what most analysts have been saying over the past few months. It is a relatively flat draft class, and opinions around the league will be very different for players up and down the class. One player could have a prospect ranked fifth or sixth on their board while another has that same player 13th or 14th.
The quality of a team’s scouts and the willingness of the team’s front office to move around the draft to secure the best value of the players available could go a long way towards a successful draft. Rose’s hire of Walt Perrin to run the Knicks’ draft should be a huge help in doing just that. The Knicks will have three picks in the Top 40 in this year’s draft and should have four in 2021, giving them capital to move around the board if they see fit.
The NBA Draft Lottery will take place on August 25th. The Knicks have just over a 37 percent chance of picking in the top four, and 50.4% chance of selecting seventh or eighth.
Rose also mentioned Julius Randle returning and the other veterans on the team, but those were the young players he chose to reference by name. Everything Rose said makes sense and it is encouraging he values the young players on the roster (or at least those the editors of the interview chose to leave in there).
His specific reference to Ntilikina is noteworthy, since the argument in his favor has always been that he can help a good team given his defensive prowess and other skills. Knox and Smith are young and talented and have a long way to go. Robinson and Barrett should be looked at as the team’s core, though neither would be likely be untouchable in the right trade. Right now, the Knicks’ future is their young core and Rose seems to understand that.
While everyone focuses on James Dolan and whether he would be a detriment to players coming to the Knicks, all Leon Rose can do is make the organization and how it operates as attractive as he can. His history as a player agent should help in that regard, as will be the addition of NBA powerbroker William “World Wide Wes” Wesley as an Executive Vice President and Senior Adviser. Both have great connections to current players, including many of the stars in the league. They are trusted by players.
Of course, the most important way to attract free agents is to win more games. A truly attractive culture can only be installed is if a team and organization is successful, which is something the Knicks have failed to do for two decades. It should surprise no one that is Rose’s greatest challenge.
Rose seems to understand the importance of getting the hire right, and is approaching it the right way. Even if the Knicks hire a more established coach, talking to so many ascending assistant coaches during the interview process should help the organization identify coaches to add to the staff as assistants, or give the organization new ideas for the future.
It should make Knicks fans excited that the first priority Rose listed for his coaching search was player development. It could indicate that Kenny Atkinson has a real chance to walk away as the next head coach of the Knicks given his record in that department. Rose also said he would not force a basketball philosophy on whomever he hires to coach the team.
Rose also mentioned “mid-to-late July” as a timetable to make the hire. The team would conduct shorter interviews to break the ice before doing longer and more in-depth interviews throughout the month of July. Rose also had very nice things to say about interim coach Mike Miller.
It is also a good sign that Rose said his goal was not to make the playoffs, but to turn the Knicks into a perennial winner. This front office cannot be interested in a quick fix and needs to build it properly, which is something Rose appears to be ready to do.
They are just words, but they are the right ones. Rose doesn’t sound like someone that will throw caution to the wind to try and make a big splash for a star at the risk of liquidating the roster and jeopardizing the health and success of the franchise long term. The word prudent is the most important word in his entire interview.
The Knicks have a bevy of future draft picks, young players, and salary cap space in coming seasons. They have more assets than most teams in the league, spare the Thunder and Pelicans, who received massive packages when they traded Paul George and Anthony Davis, respectively. Rose must use those assets the best way possible and maximize their return for the team to become a perennial winner. Brock Aller, the team’s Vice President of Basketball and Strategic Planning, should help manipulating the cap.
It remains to be seen if Rose will be patient enough to follow through on these words, or if he means them at all. There’s a chance that all he’s waiting for is a chance to trade all the team’s assets for someone like Bradley Beal. But for now, all he has are words. They should be encouraging to Knicks fans, even though it will take four months to see whether he follows through on them.
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