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Against all odds, the New York Knicks are in contention for the NBA Playoffs this season. The arrival of Tom Thibodeau has changed the scenery in the Big Apple and the Knicks have a playing identity for the first time in years.
The New York Knicks are one of the most try-hard teams this season. They've put their foot down on the defensive end and only conceded a league-best 104.5 points per game. This has allowed the franchise to achieve a 26-27 record, which puts them in eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings.
Analyzing New York Knicks' activity in the NBA trade window
It must be said, though, that the front office did not do a stellar job in improving the New York Knicks' roster and correspondingly their playoff chances.
Derrick Rose was the biggest acquisition for the franchise in this year's NBA trade window. Rose isn't a bad player by any means, but the Knicks had the assets to do better. As a result, they failed to fill some of the needs before the March 25 deadline. On that note, let's look at three mistakes that the New York Knicks made in the NBA trade window.
#1 Not acquiring more shooters
As good as the New York Knicks are on defense, they're equally mediocre going forward. They've averaged a meager 105.4 points per game this season, the third-worst in the NBA. They also have the eighth-worst field goal percentage in the league.
Out of the New York Knicks 15 previous fixtures, 10 were decided by six points or fewer. They won only four out of the said 10 games. The presence of an extra sharpshooter would've certainly helped the Knicks get over the hump in such situations.
The Knicks were linked to JJ Redick but were hoping for him to be bought out. Instead, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. GM Leon Rose could've clearly been more active in the market towards this end.
#2 Not landing an offense-minded center
New York Knicks' designated centers Mitchell Robinson and Nerlens Noel have a lot in common. Both are aggressive rim-protectors known for swatting shots away. At the same time, neither can be relied upon for scoring points regularly.
Almost everything on the New York Knicks' offense goes through Julius Randle. Opposition defenders know this and they double-team Randle up, making his life difficult. If Randle was to be paired with a center who could get quick baskets on his own, that would take a lot of pressure off the former.
Andre Drummond seemed like the perfect guy in this regard. He averaged 17.5 points and 13.5 rebounds per game for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The New York Knicks also had $15 million in cap space and would've needed to send back only $13.7 million in salaries to get the deal done. But once again, the front office let Drummond get bought out and he eventually joined the LA Lakers.
In the wake of Robinson's injuries, just having an additional center would've allowed Tom Thibodeau some versatility. As of now, he has to make do with Noel and Taj Gibson.
#3 Not going all out for Lonzo Ball
Lonzo Ball was linked to several franchises before the NBA trade deadline, but the New York Knicks were in the best position to land him. They could offer draft picks and young players that the New Orleans Pelicans reportedly wanted in exchange for Ball.
A player of Ball's profile is exactly what the New York Knicks need to round out their starting backcourt for years. They already have Immanuel Quickley who's developing into a fearless shooter and need to pair him with a playmaker who can also defend well. Ball fits this description. He's also an accurate three-point shooter who's averaged a 41.6% clip from downtown.
Lonzo Ball's presence would help the New York Knicks move the ball better in general. That would help out Julius Randle, who leads the Knicks in assists as well. Instead of being burdened with creating shots for others, Randle would be served some easy looks by Ball, who averages 6.4 assists per game for his career.
Also read: NBA Today - 5 Most overpaid players in the league right now
