The Knicks traded combo guard Austin Rivers. They gave up on 2019 second-round pick Ignas Brazdeikis. They released the players coming back in the deal, opening two roster spots.
According to a source, Tom Thibodeau had hoped for an upgrade, but none ever came. Management still viewed the 2020-21 season as a stepping stone with eyes on a potential $60 million in summer cap space.
The source said Thibodeau was in love with Toronto two-way shooting guard Norman Powell, who was traded to Portland and is excelling in the playoffs vs. Denver.
One of the Knicks? two open roster spots went to third-string center Norvel Pelle, who has not played a minute in the first-round series against Atlanta.
After being routed in the two games in Atlanta, they trail 3-1 in the series. No Knicks team in 13 tries has ever recovered from that deficit, including the last Knicks playoff team in 2012-13 against Indiana, which eventually lost in six.
Those surprised by Atlanta?s playoff domination after the Knicks swept them 3-0 in the regular season should have seen some of this coming. Jeff Van Gundy, Thibodeau?s closest friend, sure did.
The Hawks, who added bench stud Lou Williams at the deadline, were never at full strength in any of the games like now.
Before the series, Van Gundy noted, ?Atlanta has more talent. The Knicks play their best players a lot of minutes. Their guys play. The Knicks don?t take nights off. In the playoffs, that all goes away. Everybody is locked in and everybody plays. There?s no load management. It will be interesting to see if the Knicks have enough in a playoff scenario to hold up.?
NYP - Marc Bermam
I couldn?t agree more with what Van Gundy said.
Lots of fans are retconning history. If you looked at our ?talent? before the season started, most people would have said ?that?s a bottom 5 team in this league?. Thibodeau coached that roster to a 4 seed in the East.
Now we?re in the playoffs and up there with teams that have Embiid, Simmons, KD, Kyrie, Harden, Ante, Jrue Holiday, Trae Young, Clint Capela.
No one in their right mind would put our roster with those teams. But, because of how we played this season, there was a belief we could compete. Maybe we could if enough guys got hot at the right time, maybe not.
It?s on our front office now. Give Thibodeau a roster that belongs with the elite East teams.