Knicks looking forward to a big summer of roster improvement

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Much like their Brooklyn neighbors, the New York Knicks are anxiously looking forward to the summer of 2019 with their eyes on adding an elite free agent to a young, developing roster.

The well-respected David Fizdale was hired as head coach last offseason to add some stability to one of the league’s most volatile franchises. Fizdale knew coming in that he wouldn’t have his best player, Kristaps Porzingis, for most or all of the 2018-19 season while the former No. 4 overall pick goes through rehab for an ACL injury, but Fizdale still took the job with the hopes of adding a top draft pick and potentially an elite free agent for Year 2 of his coaching run at Madison Square Garden.

Like the Bulls, the Knicks have one of the NBA’s youngest rosters. Phil Jackson drafted Porzingis and inconsistent starting point guard Frank Ntilikina, while the new front office added promising front court players Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson. Knox is currently sidelined with an injury, but the unheralded Robinson has already worked his way into the starting line-up, showing the potential to be a quality rim protector and better than advertised offensive player.

The Knicks signed free agent guard Tim Hardaway Jr. to a much-criticized free agent deal in the summer of 2017, but Hardaway has emerged as the team’s top scorer, averaging right around 25 points a game. Point guard continues to be a recurring problem for the Knicks with Ntilikina, former Michigan All-American Trey Burke, Denver cast-off Emmanuel Mudiay and even the undrafted Ron Baker seeing playing time at the position.

Former Bull Noah Vonleh is currently starting in Porzingis’ power forward spot, which shows how little depth New York has up front. Knox figures to take over that spot when he returns from an ankle injury in the next week or so. For some reason, Fizdale is bringing a pair of capable veterans, Enes Kanter and Mario Hezonja off the bench while starting Robinson and second-year guard Damyean Dotson. Both Kanter and Hezonja are capable of big offensive nights, especially against a short-handed Bulls’ second unit.

This is basically a treading water season for Fizdale and the Knicks. They’re planning to make a serious run at one of the star players available in 2019 free agency, with Golden State’s Kevin Durant at the top of their list. Durant recently scored 41 points in a game at Madison Square Garden and was treated to a number of ovations from long-suffering New York basketball fans. Kyrie Irving also could be in play for the Knicks next summer, even though he announced during the preseason he plans to re-sign with the Celtics when his contract expires.

Bulls-Knicks used to be one of the NBA’s most intense rivalries, but these days the only thing the 2 proud franchises are battling for is draft lottery position.

Here’s what the Bulls need to do to snap their current fgame losing streak.

1. Attack the basket. Even though the 7-foot Robinson is showing potential as a shot blocker, the Knicks will go with a lot of three guard line-ups, offering little rim protection. Zach LaVine should be able to get to the basket with relative ease, and continue his streak of 20-plus point games. Rookie center Wendell Carter Jr. will give up size in his match-up with Robinson, but Carter is the more skilled player and should be able to follow up on his recent trend of strong offensive games.

2. Contain Hardaway. Without much help in the starting line-up, Hardaway has the ultimate green light right now, and he’ll put up shots from anywhere. The Bulls have to make sure to pick him up early in transition to eliminate his full speed drives to the basket. Hardaway is capable of creating his own shot in almost any situation, so he’s not as pick and roll dependent as many wing players are in today’s NBA.

3. Avoid the long droughts. One bad quarter cost the Bulls a chance to beat Houston last Saturday, and the coaching staff has to be mindful to keep at least two of the team’s top scorers on the floor at all times. Ryan Arcidiacono has done a good job of running the offense for the reserve group, but the Bulls need either Jabari Parker or Antonio Blakeney to provide scoring when LaVine is off the court.

Make sure to join Kendall Gill and I for Bulls Pregame Live at 6 p.m. Monday on NBC Sports Chicago. We’ll take you through all the key match-ups and bring you any last minute news from Madison Square Garden. And, when the game goes final, flip back to NBC Sports Chicago for all the analysis and video breakdowns on Bulls Postgame Live.

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