Knicks fans the return to NBA glory has begun
The future of the New York Knicks is changing. A return to the glory days and being a force in the NBA is underway.
Watching an NBA game in Madison Square Garden over the past decade has had major lows for New York Knicks fans. But with a passionate fan base and a young rising star in RJ Barrett, better days are ahead for the New York Knicks
Let’s rewind the clock back to the beginning of 2019, Knicks fans knew Kevin Durant was set to be a free agent, Kyrie Irving was leaving the Boston Celtics, and Zion Williamson along with Barrett were dominating the NCAA at Duke. At one point before the start and free agency, there was speculation that KD, Kyrie, and Zion would join up in the big apple.
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First, they needed to clear some cap space. That plan was put in place when forward Kristaps Porzingis was traded to Dallas. They also appeared to be “tanking” in hopes to lock up the number one draft pick. The New York Knicks ended the season with the worst record in the league at 17-65 and seemed a lock for the number one pick.
Unfortunately, the ping pong balls didn’t bounce their way and they ended up with the third pick in the draft. Fans were devastated when RJ Barrett was taken with the Knicks pick since Williamson was taken with the first pick by New Orleans. While some say he is no Zion, most forget Barrett was looked at to be a number one overall selection before the 2018-19 season began.
Zion has all the tools to become a generational talent and will no doubt dominate the NBA, once he gets healthy. The consolation plan was pretty good though. New York Knicks fans should be excited to have a future all-star and scoring champion in Barrett. Rookies tend to struggle with their adjustment to the pro game but I have no doubt, by the end, he will have a solid rookie campaign.
As for this past summer in free agency, yes it was heartbreaking to some when Durant and Irving signed with the Brooklyn Nets. But was it really a bad thing?