This past NBA season, the Cleveland Cavaliers won their first NBA championship in franchise history. While this is a huge accomplishment for the Cavaliers, the New York Knicks have had much difficulty trying to put together a championship roster in recent years. The last time the Knicks made it to the NBA finals was in 1999, but the last time they hoisted up a Larry O’Brien trophy was in 1973. Knicks fans, including myself, have become more and more frustrated with the organization because they haven’t been able to bring any championships to New York in over 40 years. Luckily, now that the Knicks have brought in a new team president and a group of new players to the roster, there is once again hope for a championship in the Big Apple.
Phil Jackson is arguably the greatest basketball coach in NBA history. Jackson has coached some of the greatest players of all time, from Kobe Bryant to Michael Jordan, and has won eleven championships during his coaching career. The Knicks have brought in Jackson as the new president of their organization, which so far, appears to be a great success since Jackson has signed many great players.
Point Guard Derrick Rose was the first overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft and won the "Most Valuable Player" award in 2011 as a superstar for the Chicago Bulls. Since then, Rose has had many injuries that have kept him out of playing basketball; however, Rose has made a huge comeback and is currently in the best shape of his life. Thanks to President Jackson, the Knicks acquired Rose in a trade for three of our players. This is exactly what the Knicks needed as they have been lacking in PG depth for some time now. Derrick Rose is one of the best passers in the game and Carmelo Anthony has to be excited about playing with him.
Not long after the Knicks signed Rose, President Jackson successfully signed Joakim Noah, who was a long-time teammate of Derrick Rose in Chicago. Noah plays the Center position and will be grabbing most of the rebounds for the team. He is a great addition to the Knicks and his experience with playing on the same team as Rose will provide great chemistry for the duo and the rest of the roster overall. Furthermore, the team has also signed free-agent Shooting Guard Courtney Lee. The signing of Lee will guarantee a deeper bench for the Knicks and his presence on the court will be felt immediately by any opponent they face.
In the 2015-2016 NBA season, the Knicks did not qualify for the playoffs, but with this refreshed roster full of new and exciting players, the Knicks once again have a championship caliber team. The starting five of Derrick Rose, Courtney Lee, Carmelo Anthony, Kristaps Porzingis and Joakim Noah, along with the solid bench players consisting of Brandon Jennings and Justin Holiday, the Knicks have a bright future ahead of them. With Phil Jackson leading this team, no one will be able to tell how high their ceiling is. I myself am certainly looking forward to the start of the next season.
