Here's What Knicks President Leon Rose Said About New York's Season
To say the 2021-22 NBA season was a disappointment is an understatement for fans of the New York Knicks, especially since last season presented plenty of opportunity for growth this year.
After being the 4-seed in the Eastern Conference a year ago, the Knicks finished 37-45 this season, missing the playoffs for the eighth time in the last nine seasons and now once again preparing to pick in the lottery of the NBA Draft.
However, this “wake-up call” for the Knicks may end up being a blessing in disguise, as they learned a lot about themselves through their struggles.
R.J. Barrett emerged as a key scoring weapon and possible All-Star talent that this team can continue to develop, Immanuel Quickley took over the Knicks’ backcourt when Kemba Walker and Derrick Rose were ruled out for the year and Obi Toppin really stepped up over the course of the final few weeks of the regular season, proving why he was picked eighth overall by this team in 2020.
There has been a lot of talk about what the New York Knicks will do as a franchise heading into the offseason and team president Leon Rose spoke recently about the futures of Julius Randle, head coach Tom Thibodeau and more.
“Julius is a passionate player. Last year everything went right. This year, things didn’t go right,” Rose said. “Things happened on the court, we saw some emotion coming out, saw some things happening. I think it affected his play at times. He felt remorseful for some of those things as he expressed to the fans in his letter he sent.
“[He] was just not comfortable at times. It was just not being comfortable. He gave it his best effort. The 3-point shot just didn’t go like last year, and you had teams keying on him more this year. At the end, he made some adjustments. I was proud of the fact he did fight through it.”
Leon Rose also talked about Tom Thibodeau, giving fans a glimpse into the head coach’s future with the Knicks.
“I mean, Thibs, as far as Thibs’ performance goes, I mean, again, he’s one of the best coaches in the NBA,” Rose said. “So obviously none of us are happy with the results this year. But he’s a guy who prepares our team better than anybody. I feel that he’s done a good job under the circumstances.”
Based on reports that have surfaced, as well as Rose’s comments on Thibodeau, it does not appear that the Knicks will be looking to make a coaching change in the offseason.
However, this does not mean that this roster will not be completely different entering the 2022-23 season, as Leon Rose and general manager Scott Perry are going to work hard to ensure success for one of the most historic franchises in the NBA.
“I feel as though it’s been a disappointing season from the standpoint of wins and losses,” Rose went on to say. “We’ll take a good hard look at it after the season in evaluating everybody. The first year things clicked. This year, from the beginning, things didn’t click. We faced adversity. We had some tough stretches.”
Entering the offseason, especially after the recent play to finish the year by the youth of this team in Barrett, Quickley and Toppin, the key question for the Knicks to answer revolves around Julius Randle.
Before the 2021-22 season, Randle inked a four-year, $117 million extension keeping him under contract through the 2024-25 season and then having a player option for the 2025-26 season worth upwards of $29 million.
Whether or not they decide to trade Julius Randle is yet to be determined, but early indications are pointing towards the Knicks trying to keep Randle and build with him instead of leveraging him.
When asked about Julius Randle’s future by host Mike Breen, Leon Rose said that Randle does want to be in New York and that he loves New York.
Another key aspect of the Knicks offseason besides chatter surrounding Julius Randle will be whether or not the team brings back Mitchell Robinson, who is set to be an unrestricted free agent.
“There has been ongoing discussions throughout the year with his agent and those discussions will continue, will continue for the remainder of the time till free agency,” Rose said in regards to Robinson’s free agency. “He was our anchor on defense and really took a nice step this year and even showed us a little bit on offense, especially that one through the legs, then down the lane for the dunk.”
Between continued development of their young core and figuring out possible moves to make both before, during, and after free agency, Leon Rose and the New York Knicks are going to have a very busy offseason that will be very telling of what direction this franchise is heading in.
The Related stories on NBA basketball
- BREAKING: Klay Thompson Did Something For The First Time In 3 Years: Klay Thompson scored 41 points in Sunday's contest between the Golden State Warriors and New Orleans Pelicans.. CLICK HERE.
- BREAKING: The NBA Play-In Tournament Matchups And Schedule Are Set: The NBA Play-in Tournament will feature the Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans. CLICK HERE.
