Talent wins in the NBA. Yes, coaching matters. Chemistry is important. The guys who shop in the system are important. But in the end, talent wins.
The Knicks don’t have enough.
Robinson shows a real promise. Barrett has potential, but the statistics on the rough count that he set as a beginner hide a bad basketball. Kevin Knox and Frank Ntilikina appear to be marginal spin players, not key contributors. Julius Randle raises the floor for this team but is not considered part of the long-term plans of Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks need a scouting department and a front office that not only makes good lottery calls, but also finds guys at the end of the first shift or at the beginning of the second which can be developed into collaborators in a couple of years. This is always a bit hit and miss, even with the best teams, but the best teams find guys. Toronto is now the gold standard for finding and developing players – Pascal Siakam finished 27th, OG Anunoby was 23rd – and the Knicks must approach that model.