Has Knicks' league-wide perception changed enough to land a star?

The Knicks need two more wins – or two Celtics losses – to secure a playoff berth. 

They have the No. 4 ranked defense in the NBA. And they’ve nearly doubled their win total from last season.

By any measure, this Knicks season is an overwhelming success.

The factors driving all of the winning have been well documented: Tom Thibodeau’s coaching; Julius Randle’s incredible improvement; RJ Barrett’s big leap in Year 2; Leon Rose, William Wesley and Scott Perry making sound coaching hires and personnel decisions.

It’s added up to the best Knicks season in eight years.

And the future appears bright in New York. The Knicks can have roughly $60 million in cap space this summer; they don’t have any long-term contracts hampering their books. New York also has five first-round draft picks over the next three drafts, courtesy of the two first-rounders they received in the Kristaps Porzingis trade.

But there’s a question that’s looming for Rose and his group. It’s the same question that past Knicks regimes have faced over the last 20 years: Is the league-wide perception of the team changing?

To try to answer that question, we spoke to agents, current and former scouts and execs, and players and asked a simple question: What is the perception of the Knicks?

PICK UP THE PHONE

Once you talk to a few agents about the Spurs, you start to hear a common theme: RC Buford would answer your phone calls.

Obviously, I can’t tell you if this is true of every call placed by every agent in the history of Buford’s Spurs tenure, but it’s been cited by several agents as a point of comparison when you talk to them about the Knicks. These agents have said that, in years past, New York’s front office hasn’t been great at returning calls promptly.

In the Knicks’ defense, they probably get inundated with calls/emails from agents looking to find a job for their clients. And just because this group of agents didn’t get their calls returned immediately doesn’t mean the Knicks were ignoring calls from most agents.

But the NBA is a relationship business. And the agent you’re overlooking today may have a player next year whom you’re interested in signing.

This season, the group of agents referenced above has noticed something new about New York.

They say Rose and his front office return calls/emails/texts promptly. And they are upfront in their communications.

“That’s all you can ask for,” another agent says.

This isn’t going to snap the Knicks’ nearly 50-year title drought. But, in a small way, it helps alter the perception of a franchise that’s been seen, largely, as functioning poorly on and off the court for much of the past 20 years.

FAMILY AFFAIR

There’s a former Knick who still plays in the league. He talks to different players on different teams regularly. And the general feeling that he’s gotten from players outside of New York is this: It looks like they’re having fun.

“They see (William Wesley) on the sidelines, they see Julius and the other young guys and see chemistry,” that player says.

We should note that the opinions above are from a small sample of players. And some members of opposing teams have privately scoffed at Wesley celebrating with players and coaches as he sits courtside at games.

But Randle and the players appreciate it. And that’s probably the only thing that matters; the opinions of players – more so than opposing coaches/front office members – will be key for the Knicks moving forward.

“Most guys I speak with like what they’re doing over there,” the former Knick said.

Depending on how you define “top free agent,” the last player to fit that description and sign with the Knicks was Amar’e Stoudemire. New York outbid other teams for Stoudemire’s services after they missed out on LeBron James and other members of the 2010 free agency class. But they landed Stoudemire and he helped them on an upward trajectory before he was derailed by injuries.

Stoudemire did something that other stars have been hesitant to do: He came to New York without a co-star. Opposing teams and agents have noticed that no top player wants to come to New York as the lone savior. Players know that they will be set up to be a scapegoat for the media and fans if things don’t go well. They point to the Carmelo Anthony situation as evidence.

That’s why it’s been important for the Knicks to build a nucleus that wins on its own. Then, they can sell stars on the idea that they are joining a core that’s already had success. 

“That’s why teams are worried about them,” a scout from an opposing team says. “They’re winning and they have a ton of cap space. That, plus the market, makes them a threat again.”

IS EVERYONE ON THE SAME PAGE?

This is a relevant question for every organization in pro sports. Ownership, management, coaches and players need to, generally, be on the same page in order to succeed.

The Knicks haven’t fit that description often in the past 20 seasons or so.

Whether it’s owner James Dolan, top team executives, coaches or star players, there always seemed to be significant fissures in the organization over the years.

By most accounts, Dolan, Rose and Wesley have a strong rapport. Rose and Thibodeau have known one another for decades. So this Knicks regime has a chance to create the kind of synergy that’s been missing in the past.

I’m not suggesting that everyone under Rose is in agreement on every decision; there have been disagreements on personnel decisions; some front office members have wanted to make moves that have been opposed by Thibodeau and the coaching staff. But that happens in every healthy organization in pro sports. And, so far, the disagreements among Knicks decision-makers haven’t led to anything damaging.

Just the opposite: Thibodeau’s Knicks wake up on Monday with the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference.

And Dolan, thus far, has avoided the kind of public confrontations that have hurt the perception of the Knicks in the past.

“This new group has made a big difference,” an opposing exec said of Rose’s Knicks. “And with how quiet things have been with Dolan, it’s definitely trending in the right direction.”

Dating back to Phil Jackson’s first day as team president, Dolan has said that he will let his basketball executives make decisions without strong input from the owner’s seat.

By all accounts, Dolan allowed Jackson and Steve Mills to make decisions without overt influence from ownership.

So far, he seems to have taken the same approach with Rose and the current regime. (Though Dolan took a hands-on approach with the Rangers last week.)

“We’ve gotten great support from our owner,” Thibodeau said on ESPN’s The Jump last week. “Jim Dolan has given us everything we’ve asked for.”

The opposing exec referenced above believes the league-wide perception of the Knicks will change if they continue to win games. But having their owner keep a low-profile can also help.

“If they can keep him from being associated with anything negative in public, that’s big (for how they’re perceived around the league),” the opposing exec said.

IN THE HUNT

So where do the Knicks go from here? They’re fully committed to keeping Randle beyond his current contract. Barrett and Immanuel Quickley are certainly part of the future. And the club has the cap space and draft picks to be active in both free agency and the trade market.

They’re keeping an eye on Damian Lillard and any other star who may seek a trade if things go sideways with their current franchises. They also have guards like Dennis Schroder, Lonzo Ball and – per SNY sources –  Kyle Lowry – on the radar for the offseason.

If they add the right star, the Knicks can establish themselves as a contender in the East. But can they attract that kind of player to New York? Have they changed the negative perception that’s plagued the club for so long?

We’ll start to find out in a few months.