NBA 2019-20: 3 reasons why the New York Knicks are struggling so much right now

The New York Knicks have been one of the most underperfoming teams in the NBA in recent years. Despite playing in a marquee market like New York, the Knicks have failed to make much of an impact on the court.

The Knicks last made the playoffs in the 2013 season, where they lost in the Eastern Conference semifinals. They have never looked like a playoff team after that season.

Last season, the Knicks finished with the worst record in the NBA; they ended the season with a 17-65 win-loss record. Their luck didn't even support them in the lottery and they ended with the third pick in the draft, and lost their chance on Zion Williamson.

The Knicks are again having a very bad year and will mostly likely be a very high end lottery team. They have a 2-8 record and are the worst team in the Eastern Conference.

Here are the 3 reasons why the New York Knicks are struggling so much right now:

#3 Zero superstar power in the roster

RJ Barrett has made a good start to his NBA career

The Knicks currently have no superstar in their lineup. Their roster is comprised of young and veteran players, but none of the them is capable of being even close to an All-Star level.

The Knicks traded their best franchise building block in the form of Kristaps Porzingis at the trade deadline to create cap space. Porzingis was one player that had superstar potential and was capable of changing the game on both ends. But his trade left the Knicks with very little to work on.

R J Barrett looks like a good piece to build around but he is still in his rookie year and needs to improve a lot to become an All-star player. Julius Randle was a good acquisition in the off-season but he seems to be a one-dimensional player.

To put it simply, the Knicks don't possess a roster to compete for the top spot.

#2 Inability to attract free agents in the off-season

New York Knicks v Brooklyn Nets, Durant and Irving

The Knicks were one of the very few franchises that had two max slots in the Free Agency. Kevin Durant was long rumored to be one of the prime target for the franchise, and Durant also had a mutual interest to play in New York.

The Knicks had also traded away Kristaps Porzingis to create more cap space since Kyrie Irving wanted to play alongside Durant. But the Knicks somehow messed up in the Free Agency, and couldn't get any of the superstars despite being linked to them.

The Knicks ended up with Julius Randle and Marcus Morris when they had dreamed of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Superstars would have immediately turned the Knicks into a playoff team, but instead they are again lying at rock bottom in the Eastern Conference.

#1 Presence of James Dolan

James Dolan is arguably one of the worst owners in all of sports. The New York Knicks had made 13 consecutive playoff appearances between 1987-1999 before Dolan took over the franchise, and in 2000 they reached the Eastern Conference finals.

But since then, the team has won just one playoff series - back in 2013.

The Knicks have made only six playoff appearances out of a possible 19 under Dolan. They have made some of the worst financial deals in the NBA during this time. They have spent on old and injury-prone players, and the franchise has suffered heavily because of that. They have also made a lot of coaching changes - 13 in 18 seasons.

The Knicks also made a trade for Carmelo Anthony and gave away young players and first round picks in return when they could have signed him for nothing in the Free Agency. All these things have contributed to the sorry state of the franchise right now.