The 2014-15 New York Knicks season has proved to be nothing more than an interlude to the 2015-16 season. The New York Knicks are in the midst of a 16-game losing streak and are sitting in dead last with a grand total of 5 wins. The last win the Knicks had came over a month ago, on December 12th. Yes, the Knicks are yet to win a game in the year 2015.

But let’s not lament on the abysmal season the Knicks are having. It’s time to celebrate! I hope the Knicks do not win another basketball game this season. Sometimes you have to reach rock bottom in order to get to the top.

With every loss the Knicks stack up they inch closer and closer to first pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. Luckily, there is a man named Jahlil Okafor, a college basketball phenom, waiting to enter the draft as soon as this season ends. Okafor has drawn comparisons to Tim Duncan and seems to be a lock for the first overall pick in the upcoming draft. Adding Okafor would be an extreme boost to a Knicks team that already has tons of cap space heading into next season.

The reset button has been pressed. The only Knicks with contracts for next season are: Carmelo Anthony, Jose Calderon, Pablo Prigioni, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Cleanthony Early. With a top-5 pick likely headed toward the Knicks and over $30 million to spend in free agency, how would you like your roster Mr. Jackson?

I think a lot of Knicks fans are going to be let down with what happens in free agency. Phil Jackson has preached “team” since he came into power with the Knicks. I think it is much more likely that the Knicks will spend their money on several talented second tier players, rather than spend money on two top tier free agents.

The triangle system does not call for an extraordinary point guard. I really like Rajon Rondo and Goran Dragic as players, but it makes no sense to spend top dollar on a position that doesn’t require a star in the triangle. A triangle point guard needs to be an exceptional defender and shooter.

If the Knicks do chase big name players, I believe Marc Gasol or Greg Monroe would be that player.

The triangle defense does call for a quality center. This center needs to be able to shoot as well as pass the ball. Tyson Chandler’s inability to shoot and pass was probably the reason Phil Jackson traded him so quickly. Marc Gasol is the perfect fit for this system, but it will be very hard to keep him from going back to Memphis. Greg Monroe would be a great fallback option for the Knicks if they are unable to obtain Gasol.

Where the Knicks will make their money will be with secondary free agents. Guys like Draymond Green, Patrick Beverley, Brandon Knight, Gerald Green, Robin Lopez, Jeff Green, Thaddeus Young, Kawhi Leonard, Reggie Jackson and Jimmy Butler should be what the roster is made up of. The Knicks already have their star player in Carmelo Anthony. This will be about loading the roster up with players that compliment Melo well.

Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Kawhi Leonard and Patrick Beverley would be at the top of my list from this tier. These players are all due for major paydays, but they do not carry the star power that names like Gasol, Aldridge or Rondo carry. The problem here is that Butler, Leonard and Beverley are all restricted free agents, and I highly doubt their teams would refuse matching an offer sheet given to them.

For argument’s sake, let’s compare a couple of starting lineups.

#1                                                                                                             #2

PG – Reggie Jackson                                                                            PG – Patrick Beverley

SG – Jimmy Butler                                                                               SG – Wesley Matthews

SF – Carmelo Anthony                                                                         SF – Carmelo Anthony

PF – Jahlil Okafor                                                                                 PF – Jahlil Okafor

C – Marc Gasol                                                                                       C – Greg Monroe

 

#3                                                                                                               #4

PG – Goran Dragic                                                                                 PG – Rajon Rondo

SG – Tim Hardaway Jr.                                                                         SG – Tim Hardaway Jr.

SF – Carmelo Anthony                                                                          SF – Carmelo Anthony

PF – Jahlil Okafor                                                                                   PF – Jahlil Okafor

C – Marc Gasol                                                                                         C – Greg Monroe

 

There are also a couple other factors to take into consideration. Options 3 and 4 will come with a bench that is considerably more stripped than options 1 and 2. We are also assuming the Knicks land Jahlil Okafor, which would be huge, but that is a giant “if” as of now. If the season ended today, the Knicks would be the favorite for the first pick, but it is still not a guarantee and with lesser talent from the draft, options 3 and 4 become even less appealing.

With all options considered, I still prefer options 1 and 2 to options 3 and 4. I like how every position has a major contributor. Someone like Tim Hardaway Jr. in the starting lineup brings the lineup down a notch. When you are spending such a large portion of cap room on 2-3 players, it restricts you from being able to build a team. There would be no way for the Knicks to find players that compliment each other at every position with so much money being committed to 2-3 stars.

Options 1 and 2 give you good players all around and gives you the opportunity to have a good bench as well. You are protected in case of injury and you don’t have to worry about the long-term effects of the majority of the budget going to 2-3 players. The Knicks dug themselves into this hole several years ago when they committed most of their money to Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler. The potential was there, but it never worked out and it hurt the Knicks. Options 1 and 2 do not do that.

Players like Jimmy Butler, Brandon Knight and Patrick Beverley may see their price tags rise as the season goes on. When building lineups 1 and 2, these were done off of contract predictions from early in the season. This does not change the point of my argument. The Knicks should consider trying to bring one major talent in and spreading the rest amongst second and third tier free agents.

The New York Knicks teams that won NBA Championships were exactly that, teams. Phil Jackson was a player on those teams. Phil Jackson said it when he came into power, he will make the Knicks a “team.”