Kenny Atkinson is the New York Knicks coach of the future

Rebuilding the Knicks as a team

If the Knicks are to be successful they will have to do it the hard way. Philadelphia did it, Golden State did it. Golden State nearly became a dynasty and I don’t doubt that they are going to continue in that direction once everyone is back from injuries. With all the problems the Sixers had, look where Brett Brown has brought them.

The New York Knicks need a start over. In my opinion, it’s the only way. I have watched them since Superfly Clyde was wearing black turtlenecks and fur coats. There were no superstars on that first championship team. They became superstars. As Clyde said in a NY Post article, “we had to work as a team to win.”

Right now, the Knicks are not playing as a team. Mistakes have to be fixed. “That’s why they make erasers on pencils.” The vets who are not able to teach and uplift the young should leave this season. They only had one and done contracts.

Kenny Atkinson to the Knicks

Kenny Atkinson is a player development coach. He, like Fizdale, will bench a player who’s not playing up to their standards. I think Kevin Knox being benched by Fizdale did not go well. Maybe Atkinson could have turned him into a Joe Harris.

New York needs to develop their point guards. Looking at the improvement of Spencer Dinwiddie under Atkinson, I believe Frank Ntilikina would most likely flourish in a similar system. With better development, shooting guard RJ Barrett would have been in the running for Rookie of the Year.

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Spacing the floor is something else Coach Atkinson wants his team to do. Imagine Mitchell Robinson with a mid-range jumper.

Julius Randle is a different story. He was put in a position he wasn’t ready nor equipped for. I understand he gets double-doubles almost every night. But at what price? Locker rooms don’t lie and there is a problem there. A nice trade would do for him or maybe Atkinson can teach him what a power forward does.

Kenny Atkinson’s progressive style is needed at MSG. Progressive, not aggressive or regressive. He has learned under some of the greatest head coaches in the game today,  Gregg Popovich and Mike D’Antoni to name just two.

RJ Barrett, Kevin Knox, Allonzo Trier, Mitchell Robinson, Frank Ntilikina, Damyean Dotson, don’t need to be traded or even considered in trade talks. Those guys stayed through all of the losses. They deserve to be here when the Knicks start winning. Bringing Atkinson from across the river would be a great start to turning the Knicks around.