Knicks fans believe in the president of basketball operations Leon Rose.
He can do no wrong no matter how many mistakes he has done as the Knicks president. He gets hailed for not talking to the media.
It’s like he’s the Knicks’ version of Jerry West. I don’t get it. It’s strange.
Rose received kudos for signing Donte DiVincenzo to a four-year, $50 million deal as an upgrade to Obi Toppin, who was traded to the Indiana Pacers for more draft picks. He also received praise for staying away from Clippers guard Paul George, which was reported by ESPN New York/MSG Network’s Alan Hahn. He did not want to give George an extension, which he requested for him to go to the Knicks.
He also gets credit for getting it right in drafting decent players in Quentin Grimes and Immanuel Quickley, who Knicks fans overrate.
He did hire Tom Thibodeau as the Knicks head coach, so he gets a plus for that. He also took a chance on Jalen Brunson, which turned out to be a boon. He also collected draft capital.
But other than that, we are overrating Rose. Just look at the summer league roster. None of those guys have a chance to make the team. This is where Rose's draft hasn't been good as people made it out to be.
When Rose got the job, he was hired based on his connections to get stars through his time with the Creative Artists Agency. This hasn’t happened.
Rose got players that played for Kentucky and Villanova, and he got Brunson mainly because that was his godson and Brunson’s father was his client at one time.
That’s nice, but it should have been better so far. He struck out signing Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier as free agents.
We have set the bar low for him. Donnie Walsh got better talent with the Knicks yet we ran him out of town, and to this day, the Knicks fanbase can’t stand him, which is something I don’t even understand. As my mother would say, whatever.
This has to be Rose’s time to shine this summer. He has to make the Knicks into a championship contender, not just make the playoffs and hope to be lucky and get hot at the right time. The East is winnable. Shoot, you can make a case the league is winnable for them to win the championship.
The Knicks need to make a bold move. That means getting George. Maybe the Los Angeles Clippers shooting guard/small forward decides to forgo an extension and play for the Knicks, but even then, it may not happen. The Knicks think he’s old and lacks durability. That’s nonsense.
Sometimes, teams have to take risks. You can’t just play safe. That’s a bad way to run a team. It would mean mediocrity, and this is the last thing the Knicks need in a conference that is open for any team to win it all.
George’s productivity should trump his injury history. So he is a 33-year-old player. So what? All I know is he and Brunson can form matchup problems. Plus, George knows how to win and take over a game. What’s not to like? If George can be that difference maker, how do the Knicks say no to the trade? It’s a risk the team has to be willing to take.
Another guy the team should be working hard to get is Karl-Anthony Towns. He could be had. Towns would benefit from playing with Brunson in the pick-and-roll. Towns had his best seasons under Thibodeau in Minnesota. Plus, Towns is a guy who can block shots and play defense. Towns would be an instant upgrade over Mitchell Robinson, who has had a hard time staying healthy.
Rose has to do something this offseason, and he knows this. He can’t just keep more of the same and hope the Knicks get lucky. Hope is not a strategy. Teams tend to get better in the offseason. You can bet the Boston Celtics will work hard to be even better along with the Miami Heat, so yes, the Knicks need to make a move to be in a position to win a championship.
This team is not in a position to win a championship as it stands right now.
Yes, fans can preach patience, but when a team hasn’t won a championship in 50 years or not made it to the conference final in 23 years or made it to the NBA Finals in 24 years, it’s time to demand better. There has to be a sense of urgency from Rose.
It would be nice if the Knicks can go on memorable runs like they did in the 90s. I got to witness that as a young kid growing up, and it was beautiful. Those were good times. The Knicks fans that are below my age (I am 43) never experienced it, and I would like to experience this one more time before I have white hair.
Let’s stop waiting to see if Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo or Luka Doncic will be coming here when odds are it will never happen, and let’s stop the insanity of dreaming big about Victor Wembanyama coming here like we foolishly did with LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
This is why Rose needs to come up big now. He has been with the organization long enough. It’s time to demand more and stop idolizing a guy who is not on the level of Dave Checketts, Ernie Grunfeld and Walsh.
Just because he is an upgrade over Glen Grunwald, Phil Jackson and Steve Mills does not mean much. Just because he is an upgrade over David Kahn does not mean we should set the bar low.
It’s time we start demanding more from Rose instead of treating him as a great executive when in reality, he’s not.
You can read Leslie's Jersey Sporting News columns on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays.
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