Jackie Powell's Perfect Knicks 2020-21 Starting Five Lineup
Imagine the Knicks getting a star at the point for the 2020-2021 season. Many have. My Knicks SI colleague Jonathan Macri noted that if he held the key to Knicks’ future, he would trade for Chris Paul in order to have a star and a reliable scorer to start and lead. (Is Chris Paul a leader? I question that, and I will ponder it further later.) Or New York could draft a future star in Lamelo Ball. Nope. Not my plan at all. But you all should know that already.
But here’s a cliffhanger in the lede: I still want to do that. I want a star as New York’s floor general, and I’m going to make it happen.
The most mainstream opinion I’ll have in this column is to build the 2020-2021 Knicks around incredibly efficient Mitchell Robinson and 2019’s third overall draft pick in R.J. Barrett. While Barrett’s numbers aren’t exceptional and don’t scream All-Star yet, his ability to drive and swerve into the restricted area and score there is valuable.
Robinson is at the five and Barrett will be at the two. They are locked in. The final three spots will complement that core. And I still agree with David Fizzdale: in addition to a point guard who can facilitate pick-and-rolls with Robinson, the Knicks need a stretch four who can pick-and-pop.
Who will join Barrett in the backcourt and who has a similar work ethic and a knack to assert himself and help vulnerable communities off the court? It won’t be the first-round draft pick immediately. I ran the Tankathon simulator and used it correctly this time, and what do you know, I was given the player I have been very high on from the start, Tyrese Haliburton.
But, Haliburton won’t start initially. The Knicks new starting point guard will be someone who fits the New York bill in more ways than one. He has a connection with new team President Leon Rose. And no it’s not CP3 or Carmelo. At the point, I would start Mr. Mask Singer himself, Victor Oladipo.
Why Oladipo? Let’s hop over to Brooklyn for a moment to find out. And I’m not talking about the Nets, I’m talking about the New York Liberty and their decision to sign 29-year-old Layshia Clarendon to serve as a mentor for Sabrina Ionescu. I’m taking a page out of Jonathan Kolb’s playbook and I want a combo guard who leads. Chris Paul just isn’t a competent leader for an organization that often swims in petty drama, a dark pool that the Knicks should want to escape.
Oladipo has around as much pro experience as Clarendon, but what drew me to him was how he personally defined leadership. “I think what makes a good leader is the ability to not only lead but listen,” Olapido told CBS sports in 2014. “Listen to what everybody else has to say, their opinions, and then giving yours and coming up with a solution.”
His twitter bio also says it all: Stay Hungry, Stay Focused, Stay Humble.
The Knicks and Oladipo could have a symbiotic relationship, and this extends even to team owner and my favorite beneficiary of karma, James Dolan. Could Dolan be attracted to the idea of having a starting point guard who’s also a singer? ABSOLUTELY.
Maybe the fact that Oladipo could perform at the Hulu Theater during the offseason could take Dolan’s mind off of winning now. That’s also a decision Rose must make. Are his Knicks committed to a rebuild or are they still a team that signs waning rather than waxing superstars? My Knicks are committed to the former and how it’s done is by addressing needs and culture.
Oladipo brings a culture that New York should desire. This is a man who has aspirations after his playing career to start a basketball camp for deaf youth. Now here comes the tricky part, how does Rose get it done? He’ll need to execute a trade with the Pacers that gives them what they need: rebounding and more defense. Julius Randle can haul down under 10 boards a game and Elfrid Payton will look to continue swiping the ball. Indiana finished 2020 with 7.2 steals per game, 22nd overall.
Other Knicks fantasies have included re-acquiring Carmelo Anthony along with a potential CP3 trade. I nix this as well. But I’m not against a Knickerbocker return. Actually, my small forward was in the orange and blue in 2017. And in this trade with Indiana, New York would get Doug McDermott back at the three. For the Pacers off the bench, he shot a hair under 45 percent from beyond the arc, and he can shoot the ball well in transition.
Both McDermott and Oladipo have one year left on their contracts, and the Knicks could pay both salaries. Now for the stretch four: Knicks SI’s Chris Molicki and I agree. Dāvis Bertāns can pick-and-pop and will do so at a high level. While his defense needs improvement, he won’t be alone on the Knicks, and he’ll provide three-point shooting above 40 percent like McDermott.
If Rose wants him, he might have to come to New York on a sign-and-trade. The Wizards crave defensive-minded prospects and could use a rim protector in Kenny Wooten and could acquire someone like Tyler Bey, another floor spacer who switches on screens like the flash. The Knicks hand over Wooten and their other 2020 picks.
The mean average age of my starting five is a tad under 25 years old. Building a team around Robinson and Barrett won’t pay off unless the Knicks invest in player development. Back to the Liberty for a moment. Imagine if R.J. could work with a shot doctor similar to Shelley Patterson. If Oladipo can apply his wisdom and mentorship to a young point guard in Haliburton while distracting Dolan with his vocal talents, then maybe, just maybe, the Knicks could be a young team to root for again.
