It’s no secret the New York Knicks spent the entirety of the 2018-19 regular season gearing up for the offseason. The Knicks won a franchise-worst 17 games this season, a far cry from the championship aspirations fans have clung to for years. The abysmal performance was no surprise to anyone. New York made one of the biggest trade deadline deals of the season when they shipped franchise centerpiece Kristaps Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks.
With Porzingis no longer in the picture, the roster was lacking high-end talent. The second half of the season was essentially a showcase for players to not only show the coaching staff their talent, but also that they’re all-in on the vision general manager Scott Perry and head coach Fizdale share for the future of the franchise.