The New York Knicks faced off against the Milwaukee Bucks in the In-season quarterfinal and had a lackluster performance. Suffering a 146-122 loss against Giannis Antetokounmpo and co., the Knicks have been from the tournament. Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith were merely two of the numerous basketball enthusiasts who didn’t mince their words, criticizing the New York side following the 24-point loss.
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Following the Knicks-Bucks contest, on the sets of Inside the NBA, Charles Barkley spoke about a major issue that Julius Randle and co. were facing. According to Barkley, the Knicks have had the same roster for the past couple of seasons. In order to defeat the powerhouses of the Eastern Conference, they would certainly need to shake things up drastically. Hence, trading for some big-name players is a move that Chuck suggested.
“Last three years, the Knicks, they got the same team, am I correct? They haven’t added anything new… The Knicks need to make a trade because they’re at best”
Barkley added that the Knicks are not going to beat the top teams from the Eastern Conference like Boston, Milwaukee, and Philly with the current roster.
Kenny Smith was as crude as he could get. The pundit wasn’t wrong when he stated that the Knicks didn’t ever have the best player on the floor, against whom they matched up. Goes without saying, the same poise as a huge problem.
“This is why the Knicks are gonna stay in the middle. Every game that they play, they always have the second-best player. You play Boston, you got the second or third best player. You play Orlando, they don’t have a player better than Banchero. Milwaukee, we know they don’t. Philadelphia they don’t. The Indiana Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton is the best player on the floor. If you play the Miami Heat, Jimmy Butler is the best player on the floor. If you play the Cleveland Cavaliers, you Donovan Mitchell. You don’t have the best player on the floor no night,” Smith exclaimed.
Prior to Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith’s assessment, the Knicks were rumored to pull off a trade
The New York Knicks have a solid point guard in Jalen Brunson. Julius Randle, a 2x All-Star, has also been productive as the team’s power forward. Other role players like RJ Barrett, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo are also quite capable. However, the team lacks a big name at the center position. Hence, the Knicks were rumored to acquire a big name to play the five.
During the preseason, rumors suggested that the NYK would make a push for Karl-Anthony Towns. Back then, the Minnesota Timberwolves came off a season where they struggled to find a way to get KAT and Rudy Gobert to co-exist. Hence, it did seem like the Knicks had a good shot pursuing Towns.
Clearly, having the best record in the league, the Wolves have found solutions to numerous of their problems. While Anthony Edwards has been the team’s best player, Towns has been enjoying the basketball he’s been playing at Minnesota. Averaging 22.2 points and 9 rebounds per game, KAT is having a great season so far.
Joel Embiid was another player that the Knicks were targeting. Prior to the regular season commencing, there was a lot of uncertainty in the Philadelphia 76ers camp. Not only did James Harden get the front office all riled up, but JoJo’s social media antics also raised eyebrows. However, putting up 32 points and 11.3 rebounds, Embiid has been leading Philly to a 12-7 record. From what it seems, the reigning MVP seems to be happy representing the Sixers.
