Getty Julius Randle high-fives Obi Toppin of the New York Knicks during the se against the Boston Celtics.
After an underwhelming 2021-22 campaign where they finished in the 11 seed in the conference standings with a sub-.500 record of 37-45 and endured their 17th playoff-less season, fans are hoping to see the New York Knicks turn things around in 2022-23.
Though some believe that a splashy deal for a superstar-caliber player may be their best course of action in their hopes of jumping back to relevancy in a now highly competitive Eastern Conference, others believe that all this team needs to do to head in the right direction is to make a few small, yet smart tweaks to the rotation.
Tom Thibodeau is a head coach well-known for his desire to play proven veterans over developmental prospects, but many believe that the best course of action for this Knicks franchise as a whole would be for him to prioritize his younger players.
Alex Trataros of Knicks Fan TV specifically believes this is the route New York needs to embark on, and, on a September 27 episode, shared what he believes would be the ideal starting five for the club.
- PG – Jalen Brunson
- SG – Quentin Grimes
- SF – RJ Barrett
- PF – Obi Toppin
- C – Mitchell Robinson
In his reasoning, Trataros stated that this lineup would be the “most esthetically pleasing” that the Knicks could possibly trot out this season, and specifically noted the impacts that Grimes and Toppin would have on the team.
“You got two guys in Grimes and Toppin that don’t necessarily need to have the basketball in their hands to be efficient. These guys can play off ball. We saw it with Grimes last season, we saw it through summer league too,” Trataros said.
“Dude can just knock his shots down once it’s passed to him, catch-and-shoot three-pointer. Same thing with Obi Toppin. He improved toward the end of last season. Guy who likes to cut baseline, through the middle. Can get out in transition. He can also push the pace. Both of them can push the pace when needed.”
Trataros would finish off by saying that with Toppin and Grimes’ willingness to play off-ball, it would help improve the overall efficiency of the team, as it would then allow the offense to run through Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett, both of whom were labeled as “high usage rate players.”
Proposed Lineup Unlikely to Happen
At the end of the segment, Trataros would wrap up by saying that though he would love to see this starting five for the Knicks, his confidence that he’ll see it come to fruition is rather low.
“That’s my wishful thinking. I know it’s not going to happen,” Trataros said regarding his proposed lineup.
Two major reasons to doubt that such a starting five will be rolled out this season is the fact that Thibodeau is already leaning towards the idea of having Evan Fournier as their starting shooting guard and that 2021 NBA All-Star Julius Randle is all but guaranteed the starting power forward position, a role he has held for the past three seasons.
Analyst Keeping a Close Eye on Reddish
In a Facebook post from September 20, MSG Analyst Alan Hahn discussed how Cam Reddish is a player that he’s “going to watch more closely than any other” during the upcoming 2022-23 season, citing his captivating physical tools and the fact that he’s entering a contract year as the main reasons why.
“He’s 23 years old now. He’s in the last season of his rookie deal, which means he’s literally playing for his future. If there’s ever a time for him to show up in the best shape of his life, in the best mindset and determined to take jobs and command playing time, it would be now,” Hahn wrote.
“Ask any scout and they’ll tell you, Cam is an enigma. All the physical tools to be a prototype wing in today’s game and yet there’s something missing. Something inconsistent.”
Though the wing’s tenure with the New York Knicks hasn’t been all that impressive, as he played in just 15 games and posted sub-par averages of 6.1 points and 1.4 rebounds, the former five-star recruit did show some promise in his minimal showings last season before going down with a shoulder injury, particularly in his final full game of the year where he dropped 17 points in 25 minutes against the Clippers on March 7.
Now coming into the year healthy, being Hahn believes the fourth-year pro is “literally playing for his future,” he says that this could push the wing to go above and beyond with his efforts on the floor this season, which, in turn, could result in a career year for the former 10th overall pick.