The New York Knicks finished last season in 25th place in win rate, added a ready-to-go rookie in Obi Toppin, and brought some useful veterans to Austin Rivers, Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel.
So how are they the worst team in the NBA now?
New York actually hasn’t had a bad offseason, choosing not to indulge in the luxury of fringe talent and instead bring in quality roleplayers on team friendly contracts, while keeping the space limit open for 2021.
Cutting off ties with so many veterans hurts the Knicks in the short term, however, and relying on a young core of RJ Barrett, Toppin, Mitchell Robinson, and Immanuel Quickley is a beautiful future but a not-so-pleasant gift.
Patience is not what new manager Tom Thibodeau is known for, but it is what he will need with one of the NBA’s younger rosters.