5 positive takeaways from the New York Knicks 2013-2014 season

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Drafting Tim Hardaway Jr.

Tim Hardaway Jr. is one of the few positive takeaways for the Knicks in what has been a dismal season. With no current draft picks in what is speculated to be the best draft since 2003 makes Hardaway Jr. and his young athletic talent all the more coveted. He is a scorer with great shooting range and can attack the rim hard for two points and or the foul. At 24th pick he turned out to be a gem in what was mostly a disappointing draft. He was third in the rookie ladder and third in scoring among all rookies, but averaged less than 7 minutes compared to the other 2 top rookies. He has yet to reach his prime and has not yet average 30 minutes at this point in his career. If he continues to work hard and seriously attempt to improve himself both physically and mentally every year and every off season he will undoubtedly become one of the best if not the best positive takeaway from their 203-2014 season.

Signing Jeremy Tyler

Jeremy Tyler is one of the younger players on the team along with the Knicks rookie Tim Hardaway Jr. who has not reached his prime. After being waived before the start of the season, the Knicks resigned him on December 31, 2013. Having a big man off the bench was one of the missing pieces that the Knicks needed. Along with Toure Murry he was a much coveted free agent. He did not falter from expectations showing that he has has what it takes to be Tyson Chandler’s backup. He has a good array of post moves, has a solid 15 feet jumper, and runs down the floor like like someone from the 1-3 position. He has size and athleticism which will only be apart of his bread and butter to go along with his skill set down the road. All mentioned, along with his speed and ability to mold well with rookies Toure Murry and Tim Hardaway Jr. is why Jeremy Tyler is a positive takeaway from the Knicks 2013-2014 season.

Developed its own D-League

The New York Knicks have already voiced their plans to develop their own D-league affiliate by the start of next season. This is good for the Knicks because they can develop young talent there. If the Knicks were unsure of a young player and wanted to see how he could develop then they can send him down to the D-league and bring him back up if he proves to be prosperous. According to http://www.nba.com/dleague/ 149 current NBA players have D-league experience(many of which are quality players for their team). With their own D-league affiliate they will be able to better monitor young talent near them which would benefit them in a desperately needed rebuilding process.

Signing Phil Jackson

The Knicks signed Phil Jackson as their president. The last time Jackson was affiliated with the Knicks is when he was a player on the 1977-1978 team. Phil Jackson has already showed what he can do as a coach, but it still remains to be seen as to what he can do as the New York Knicks President. Although he may not be implementing plays on the court he will still be behind the grand scheme of things. This may the first time Jackson serves as a president for a team, but his knowledge is unquestionable. Phil Jackson’s age has only brought him experience. His intelligence and wisdom are 2 reasons why he should be able to succeed at his position. He is also capable of adapting which he showed by being a huge part of the 1990s Bulls and the early 2,000 Lakers(with and without Shaquille O’Neal) championship aspirations. James Dolan obviously is not working for the Knicks franchise and if Phil Jackson can make as big of an impact as a president as he did a coach then he will be a huge positive takeaway from the Knick’s 2013-2014 season.

Amarie Stoudemire Steps Closer to Contract Value

Amare Stoudemeire. The good news about Amare Stoudemire is that his attendance record is better than it has been in the past two seasons. Although he is not and may never return to his prime time scoring ability he has become a valuable and efficient part for his team. He provides the Knicks with a strong inside presence in the paint with exceptional low post moves and a solid mid range jumper. If Stoudemire does not choose to opt out this off season they will need him to play up to his contract as much as possible. Even if Stoudemire cannot average 20+ points per game he can still benefit his team by scoring important points and taking it hard to the rim. He has not played in ways that would seem to be dangerous regarding his health. The fact that he was able to attend much more than half of the regular season games while averaging 11.9 points in per game in 22.6 minutes with a field goal percentage of .557% makes him a plus for the Knicks.