What If the New York Knicks Had a Season Like the New York Yankees?

By Harrison Kaye | Oct 18, 2017

GREENBURGH, NY - AUGUST 11: Frank Ntilikina of the New York Knicks poses for a portrait during the 2017 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot at MSG Training Center on August 11, 2017 in Greenburgh, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

With similarly low expectations, wouldn’t it be great if the New York Knicks could have a season like the New York Yankees?

The New York Knicks aren’t expected to compete this year, just like the New York Yankees weren’t expected to compete.

The Knicks have some young stars in the making that are not quite ready. The Yankees had some young stars in the making that weren’t expected to be ready.

The Knicks have a young superstar in Kristaps Porzingis who is now the team’s best player and has to deal with the pressures of it. Coming into the season, Gary Sanchez was the Yankees best player and was going to have to deal with the pressures of being the top guy.

If you think about it, the Yankees and the Knicks have a lot in common.

So, what needs to happen for the Knicks to have a season like the Yankees?

The New York Knicks need Willy Hernangomez to be their Aaron Judge, who showed promise in his short stint in the majors in 2016 and then took a huge jump in his rookie season. Hernangomez has all of the tools to do what Judge did this year and is in the same kind of position. He isn’t guaranteed a starting spot, but neither was Judge. Hernangomez is going to have to earn the starting center spot with Enes Kanter now on the team.

Who is going to be the Knicks Luis Severino?

Tim Hardaway Jr. fits the role of Luis Severino as he is someone who had high expectations but hadn’t yet lived up to them. Severino did phenomenal in the bullpen last year and Hardaway Jr. was extremely good off of the bench for the Atlanta Hawks. This season was Severino’s second stint in the big leagues. This upcoming season will be Hardaway’s second stint with the New York Knicks. Severino took a massive jump in his second stint. If the Knicks are going to have a season like the Yankees, they need Hardaway to make a similar jump.

Who will provide veteran leadership like Todd Frazier?

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Newcomer, point guard Ramon Sessions will play the Todd Frazier role for the Knicks. Frazier was acquired mid-season to play third base and hopefully give the offense a boost into the playoffs. Another major thing Frazier has provided is veteran leadership and mentorship. This is where he compares to Ramon Sessions. The New York Knicks made sure that Ramon Sessions understood that he would be the mentor to Frank Ntilikina, something Derrick Rose wanted no part of. The Yankees players have raved about the kind of leader and mentor Todd Frazier has been. Hopefully, the Knicks will be able to say the same about Ramon Sessions.

Who will be the Knicks young star to develop like Clint Frazier?

Clint Frazier’s closest comparison is Frank Ntilikina. The goal for this year for Frazier was to come up and contribute to the Yankees and grow as a player. The main goal for Ntilikina this season is to grow and adjust to the NBA game. Both Frazier and Ntilikina will hopefully become stars for their teams, but this season, they need to grow as players and adjust to the pro game.

Next: Having Michael Beasley Around Will Be Entertaining

Some fans may not want the New York Knicks to qualify for the playoffs and instead secure a top draft pick and another building block player. Honestly, now that we have Michael Beasley, do we need anyone else?

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