| Position | Name | Number | Height | Weight | Date of Birth | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guard | Allen, Kadeem | - | 1,91 m | 91 kg | 15.01.1993 | Arizona |
| Guard | Baker, Ron | 31 | 1,93 m | 100 kg | 30.03.1993 | Wichita State |
| Guard | Burke, Trey | 23 | 1,85 m | 87 kg | 12.11.1992 | Michigan |
| Guard | Dotson, Damyean | 21 | 1,96 m | 95 kg | 06.05.1994 | Houston |
| Guard | Lee, Courtney | 5 | 1,96 m | 91 kg | 03.10.1985 | Western Kentucky |
| Guard | Mudiay, Emmanuel | 1 | 1,96 m | 91 kg | 05.03.1996 | Prime Prep Academy |
| Guard | Ntilikina, Frank | 11 | 1,96 m | 86 kg | 28.07.1998 | France |
| Guard | Trier, Alonzo | 14 | 1,96 m | 90 kg | 17.01.1996 | Arizona |
| Guard/Forward | Hardaway Jr., Tim | 3 | 1,98 m | 93 kg | 16.03.1992 | Michigan |
| Guard/Forward | Hezonja, Mario | 8 | 2,03 m | 99 kg | 25.02.1995 | Croatia |
| Forward | Hicks, Isaiah | 4 | 2,06 m | 110 kg | 24.07.1994 | North Carolina |
| Forward | Knox, Kevin | 20 | 2,06 m | 96 kg | 11.08.1999 | Kentucky |
| Forward | Thomas, Lance | 42 | 2,03 m | 107 kg | 24.04.1988 | Duke |
| Forward | Vonleh, Noah | 30 | 2,06 m | 111 kg | 24.08.1995 | Indiana |
| Forward/Center | Kornet, Luke | 2 | 2,16 m | 113 kg | 15.07.1995 | Vanderbilt |
| Forward/Center | Porzingis, Kristaps | 6 | 2,21 m | 109 kg | 02.08.1995 | Latvia |
| Center | Kanter, Enis | 00 | 2,11 m | 111 kg | 20.05.1992 | Turkey |
| Center | Noah, Joakim | 13 | 2,11 m | 104 kg | 25.02.1985 | Florida |
| Center | Robinson, Mitchell | 26 | 2,16 m | 102 kg | 01.04.1998 | Chalmette HS |
The NBA is always the most fun when the Knicks play well. That's just a fact. The league needs the boiling Madison Square Garden, the foul-mouthed Spike Lee, and the city that never sleeps to love and to hate.
Unfortunately the Knicks are no longer an NBA elite team. Through countless questionable front office moves and overall lack of talent they have become largely irrelevant. The only glimmer of hope is a 2.21-meter Latvian who has revolutionized his position in just three years. The future of the entire franchise depends on Kristaps Porzingis.
And that's exactly where the problem lies. The fact that almost the whole team was built around Porzingis means the Knicks are not worth much without him. The 23-year-old has still not recovered from his cruciate ligament rupture last February and so far it is unknown when he will return to the court. The team would do well to consider alternatives in the meantime. But how do you replace a "unicorn"?
No one knows in what condition Kristaps Porzingis will start this season or when. The Latvian tore his cruciate ligament at the middle of last season and has since played no game, let alone participated in training. That was almost 8 months ago. Even if the 23-year-old is now fully recovered after the serious injury, it will take time until he can perform at top level again.
Porzingis is not only the best player on the roster, he is the franchise player on which all hope rests. There is a reason why he is called "the unicorn". There is nobody else like him. Despite his 2.21 meters, he moves as fast as a guard and has a great shot from outside. At his best Porzingis is simply unguardable.
All the more important for the Knicks not to risk the long-term health of their star here. They will not let Porzingis back on the court until he is 100% healthy and in perfect playing condition. That could take months.
The main problem facing the Knicks is to decide at what point it's no longer worth playing Porzingis at all. Without him they will probably lose a ton of games. It may well be that when he comes back, the Knicks have little to no chance of making the playoffs. Why let him play for a lost cause?
For the Knicks, it would make sense to "park" Porzingis for a season and secure a top draft pick through a bad season. Unlikely? Perhaps. But that's exactly how the San Antonio Spurs got Tim Duncan.
Being a key player in the Knicks means profiting from Kristaps Porzingis' triple threat and the attention that comes along with it. On their own, neither Hardaway nor Kanter nor Burke will be able to generate enough offense to keep the New Yorkers afloat. Number 9 Draft Pick Kevin Knox is talented but at age 19 still far from doing any significant damage.
Here we put everything together everything a real Knicks fan needs. From official jersey and shorts, to fan t-shirts and socks. Get yours!
