The New York Knicks are preparing for a 2018-19 NBA season that projects to be about establishing the culture. That’s in no way a bad thing, as the Knicks have been fractured from the top down since Jeff Van Gundy departed in 2001.
Unfortunately, one of the primary reasons that establishing the culture is the lone focus is the growing expectation that the franchise player won’t be available.
Kristaps Porzingis is expected to miss a considerable chunk of the 2018-19 season due to the ACL injury he suffered in February. There’s hope that he’ll return ahead of schedule, but the working theory appears to be that he may not play at all.