Knicks OTAs begin this week, with Tom Thibodeau's coaching staff in place and players in Tarrytown. Individual workouts were taking place last week on a one-on-one basis between players and coaches to satisfy COVID protocols, but workouts in a team setting are allowed this week for all the teams not invited into the NBA bubble at Disney World.
Judging by reports and the images published on the Knicks' various social media accounts, most of the team's young players seem to be in attendance. This will be the one chance the Knicks players will have to get on the court with Tom Thibodeau and the new coaching staff until whenever the 2020-2021 season is going to start.
Likewise, it will be an opportunity for Thibodeau to get his first in-person experience with his crew of young players, and see what they can do for himself. It is an important season for the Knicks' youth, with decisions looming on players like Frank Ntilikina, Dennis Smith Jr., and Mitchell Robinson next offseason before they become unrestricted free agents.
Here are some the things Thibodeau should be looking to accomplish, in order of importance.
1. Evaluate Skillsets
Thibodeau needs to make some basic judgments about some of his players. Is Frank Ntilikina a future point guard or better used off the ball? Is RJ Barrett better off using his strength against smaller shooting guards, or his quickness against larger wings at small forward? Is Mitchell Robinson ready to expand his offensive game? Is Dennis Smith's game salvageable? Does Ignas Brazdeikis have the athleticism to be a contributing NBA player?
It's one thing to watch players on tape, which Thibodeau has undoubtedly done exhaustively, but it is another to put eyes on a player in person. There is no doubt Thibodeau already has ideas about how he wants to use his players, but this interaction should help him reach conclusions he can work off heading into next season.
These conclusions will help Thibodeau and Leon Rose decide how they want to use their offseason to bring in the right veterans around their young players. They need to decide how to get the most out of these players in the short and long-term. This is literally their only chance to do that before they have to start making decisions in the draft and free agency.
2. Distribute Development Plans
Offseasons are actually very useful when it comes to improving individual skills and fundamentals. Improving a player's handle takes a lot of time on a court in non-team situations. Fixing a player's shooting stroke take hundreds of reps on the court per day. Those reps have to happen outside of a team environment.
Here are some specific points of emphasis for some of the Knicks young players:
RJ Barrett: Improve jump shot, improve right hand, improve burst and change of direction
Frank Ntilikina: Improve three-point shot, improve finishing through contact at the rim, continue to develop a more advanced handle
Dennis Smith Jr: Improve jump shot, improve decision making, improve consistent approach to game, get out of mental funk
Mitchell Robinson: Develop some kind of one-on-one offensive game, make jump shot usable in games, improve defensive reliability and discipline
Kevin Knox: Make jump shot a weapon, develop ability to score one-on-one in half court, improve as a passer, improve as a one-on-one and team defender
3. Begin System Installation
Thibodeau can start instructing his players what he wants from them in his offensive and defense. This would constitute a basic installation just to give his players something to think about leading into the 2020-21 regular season. Given the team could look much different whenever next season begins, this is probably going to be the least of the coaching staff's goals for this two-week portion of team workouts.
4. Build Relationships
It is important for a coach to bond with his players, and this will be Thibodeau's only chance to do it in person. This is when trust begins to grow between the coach and players. Each player needs to buy into the Knicks' individual development plan for them, and attack it without reservation while they are not at the facility.
5. Avoid Injuries
The Knicks young players are healthy. Don't change that now.
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