Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
The New York Knicks currently have a losing record near the bottom of the East, but there appear to be a few reasons for their fans to be thankful.
Starting off the season with a 5-14 record, the New York Knicks are pretty much right where most people thought they would be. They have the fourth-worst record in the NBA and seem to be headed toward a top-five pick in the upcoming 2019 NBA Draft.
But not everything has gone terribly for the Knicks thus far. They have racked up some big wins, like Wednesday’s win against the Boston Celtics, that prove the rebuild is heading in the right direction.
Will the Knicks make the playoffs? Probably not. But they seem to have strayed away from the terrible style of play that prevented fans from enjoying their team’s games for years.
Head coach David Fizdale has been pretty good so far when handling rotation matters, making sure that all those young and hungry guys get adequate playing time.
As things seem to be improving — even at a slow pace — here are some reasons for Knicks fans to be thankful for their team.
@T_HardJR will not be denied. <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/22/new-york-knicks-3-reasons-to-be-thankful/"https://t.co/xygAagTydo">pic.twitter.com/xygAagTydo
<p>— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/22/new-york-knicks-3-reasons-to-be-thankful/"https://twitter.com/nyknicks/status/1065426600127315968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>November 22, 2018</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/22/new-york-knicks-3-reasons-to-be-thankful/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div>
<p>The presence of a great scorer like Hardaway gets the offense going. He is the main reason to watch the Knicks this season and what was missing last year after the Unicorn was sidelined.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/22/new-york-knicks-3-reasons-to-be-thankful/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 2 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_331585" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-large wp-image-331585" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/22/new-york-knicks-3-reasons-to-be-thankful/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1044293608-850x560.jpeg" alt="New York Knicks" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<h3>2. Kristaps is coming to town</h3>
<p>Even though Hardaway is playing like an All-Star, the best player on the Knicks is none other than Kristaps Porzingis. The once-booed fourth overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft has established himself as a top player in the league.</p>
<p>Porzingis is a combination of two eras. He controls the paint both offensively and defensively like many big men in the 90s, but he spreads the floor like the bigs of the modern era. There are only a few things that the 7’3″ star out of Latvia can’t do with a basketball.</p>
<p>Even though no official timetable has yet been released regarding his return to the court, he probably will be back sometime after the new year arrives. Being so tall and having an injury this serious certainly forces the trainers to be cautious regarding his availability.</p>
<p>During the 48 games he appeared in throughout the 2017-18 season, Porzingis averaged 22.7 points along with an (at the time) league-high of 2.4 blocks per game.</p>
<p>All in all, he is the obvious leader of the team, and the best player on the roster. Getting him back soon will certainly be a reason to be thankful.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/22/new-york-knicks-3-reasons-to-be-thankful/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 1 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_331586" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-large wp-image-331586" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/22/new-york-knicks-3-reasons-to-be-thankful/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1068065792-1-850x560.jpeg" alt="New York Knicks" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<h3>1. Big things are coming</h3>
<p>New York is the city you think of when someone mentions the United States of America. For a city that important, it seems like it’s a shame they don’t have a top-tier team in the NBA. Well, that may not be the case a couple of years from now.</p>
<p>With a record of 5-14, the Knicks are most likely going to have a top-five pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. Needless to say, the likes of Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett will be patiently waiting for their name to be called on draft night among the top picks. So why not hear it coming straight from New York?</p>
<p>We can’t really estimate a player’s true worth in the NBA based on their spectacular collegiate performances (or at least we haven’t been able to since <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/22/new-york-knicks-3-reasons-to-be-thankful/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/f/fredeji01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Jimmer Fredette</a>). But we are talking about an elite group of players that could have the ability to turn a franchise around.</p>
<p>To top it all off, an incredible free agency class is upon us with players like <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/22/new-york-knicks-3-reasons-to-be-thankful/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/walkeke02.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Kemba Walker</a>, <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/22/new-york-knicks-3-reasons-to-be-thankful/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/duranke01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Kevin Durant</a> and <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/22/new-york-knicks-3-reasons-to-be-thankful/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/t/thompkl01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Klay Thompson</a> topping every team’s wishlist.</p>
<p>Would one of those players be willing to join a team with a great young core in order to compete for a championship? Well, <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/22/new-york-knicks-3-reasons-to-be-thankful/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jamesle01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">LeBron James</a> made sure we know the answer to this one and it is a resounding yes!</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="NBA Thanksgiving - What each team has to be thankful for" data-url="https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/21/nba-thanksgiving-every-team-thankful-2018-19/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/22/new-york-knicks-3-reasons-to-be-thankful/"https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/21/nba-thanksgiving-every-team-thankful-2018-19/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> NBA Thanksgiving - What each team has to be thankful for </a> </div>
</div>
<p>So, New York Knicks fans, do not worry. Big things are coming.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">
