The NBA released it's annual Christmas Day schedule, and the Knicks have once again are among the teams playing. The Bucks are slated to come to town as one of the five NBA matchups for the holiday. 

But do the Knicks deserve to continually play on Christmas considering their rebuilding process?

For the past few seasons, the Knicks have not been up to par with the other NBA teams that play on Christmas Day. Just look at last season when the Sixers -- who were one of the best teams in the East -- handed them a 105-98 loss on their home court. The Celtics won 119-114 the season before as well.

The Knicks made a few improvements this offseason, and have a new head coach in David Fizdale to lead the pack in the 2018-19 season. So why is it that Vegas believes they will virtually have the same season as last year?

New York finished 29-53 last season, and Westgate Last Vegas set their current over/under projection at 29.5 wins. That gives them the fifth-fewest wins among the 30 NBA teams. 

But Vegas may have a point in thinking the Knicks will be the same below-average squad they were a year ago.

Knicks head coach David Fizdale wakes up every morning with the same goal in mind.

"I want to take the Knicks to the championship," Fizdale told Latvian news outlet Sportacentrs.com. "This is my main and greatest goal -- to win the title for New York. Every morning is with this thought. Visiting Latvia and building of relationships with players so that they are more than simple coach-player relations, I believe that establishing such a link is a way to overcome the difficulties in the playoffs."

That is one lofty goal Fizdale set for himself given the Knicks haven't been to the Finals since their 1973 win. But he sees potential in his young crew to take him to the promise land. 

The long-awaited visit between Knicks head coach David Fizdale and star forward Kristaps Porzingis has come to an end. And it was everything the Knicks hoped it would be. 

Fizdale and his wife, Natasha, went overseas to visit Porzingis and his family in Latvia to get to know him on a more personal level, and develop what everyone hopes will be a healthy relationship for this season and more to come. 

"It was important for Coach Fizdale to spend time with Kristaps and his family," an NBA source told The Post's Marc Berman. "It was an opportunity for both the coach and player to get to know each other on a more personal level and also talk basketball. It's part of establishing the type of culture and interaction necessary to building a strong foundation for this team in both the short and longer term."

Last summer, Scott Perry was ready to make the official move from Orlando to Sacramento to start his new journey as the VP of Basketball Operations with the Kings. But that's before Knicks president Steve Mills gave him a ring. 

Perry had signed on with the Kings in April, but when Mills called about the GM role he currently holds in New York, he couldn't resist.

"So I started in Sacramento April 24," Perry told NorthJersey.com's Steve Popper. "And we go through the draft, we go through the free agency. I enjoyed my time there. We were actually in Las Vegas Summer League and I hear from Steve Mills, asking did I have an interest in the general manager's job. Obviously I did."

New Knicks head coach David Fizdale said he wanted to have a strong sense of communication with center Kristaps Porzingis, and visiting Porzingis' home in native Latvia has been a big step.

Fizdale has spent the past few days in Latvia with his wife and gotten to know Porzingis face-to-face as the All-Star center looks to return from a torn ACL.

"That's what's been great about this trip," Fizdale told a Latvian TV station, according to ESPN's Ian Begley. "You can dive right into it and really get to feel the culture and see his basketball world. See how people treat him in the city."

Knicks C Kristaps Porzingis is working to make sure his recovery from an ACL tear he suffered last season goes smoothly -- both physically and mentally.

"The scar is going to be there, but it's more important that the scar is not up in here [in my head], so when you get back out on the court, you don't even think about your knee," Porzingis said duing a video with The Players' Tribune video. "I've seen the play 1,000 times, I've seen the video. I know exactly how it felt, and I'm not shying away from it."

Porzingis' injury occurred on February 6 when he was dunking on Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Knicks have yet to announce a timetable for his return. In the meantime, Porzingis said he has taken up yoga.

Jake Brown | Twitter |

Kawhi Leonard is headed north of the border along with Danny Green to play with Kyle Lowry. The the East wide open with LeBron James gone, and the Raptors are going all-in to try to get to the Finals. They did this trade pretty much knowing that Leonard could leave them next summer, and by all accounts it seems like he will.

Chris Haynes is reporting that Leonard has no desire to play in Toronto. If that is indeed the case, it means Leonard could join Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Jimmy Butler, Kemba Walker and others in the free agent class of 2019. And Leonard being unhappy this season in Toronto puts the possibility of him going to the Knicks next summer very much in play.

With the Knicks potentially being able to bring in two max players, it would not be stunning for Leonard to think about coming to New York. One of the best situations possible for the Knicks is if they can end up signing both Leonard and Irving next summer, giving them a stacked big three of Irving, Leonard, and Kristaps Porzingis. Mix that with Kevin Knox with a year under his belt, Knicks fans would be drooling. It's not bonkers to think it's possible...

Knicks head coach David Fizdale opened up the possibility of Kristaps Porzingis playing at small forward, which could give New York one of the tallest starting fives in NBA history.

Fizdale met with Porzingis in Latvia and told him, "I don't have a position for you," and said Porzingis was open to taking advantage of his versatility. 

"Our league doesn't really have a lot of those type of guys anymore," Fizdale told reporters. "He gives me a lot of flexibility to move him to power forward, to center and even some small forward."

The Knicks are banking on David Fizdale having a strong relationship with star player Kristaps Porzingis to have any chance at the team being successful, but Fizdale already jokes that the 22-year old will get sick of him-- fast.

Fizdale is going to visit Porzingis in Latvia soon and says he has so many things he wants to show him.

"He's going to get tired of me by two of those days over there," Fizdale said...

After a hectic NBA free agency weekend, LeBron James is finally going to the Western Conference as he signed a max deal with the Lakers. And with that, the Eastern Conference can exhale a sigh of much-needed relief. 

Knicks new head coach David Fizdale did even more than that. 

"Hal-le-lu-jah," Fizdale told Newsday's Al Iannazzone after the team's first summer league practice. "Look, I'll take it. That's all I can say."

After a hectic NBA free agency weekend, LeBron James is finally going to the Western Conference as he signed a max deal with the Lakers. And with that, the Eastern Conference can exhale a sigh of much-needed relief. 

Knicks new head coach David Fizdale did even more than that. 

"Hal-le-lu-jah," Fizdale told Newsday's Al Iannazzone after the team's first summer league practice. "Look, I'll take it. That's all I can say."

Both on the court and in the offseason, the NBA is dominated by its stars more than any professional league. 

Stars give a team relevance and a chance to win every season. The stars themselves are aware of this fact and can exert more control over their own futures.

The Knicks have their franchise cornerstone in Kristaps Porzingis and are looking to build around him. But as the league has seen the likes of Kyrie Irving, Paul George and now Kawhi Leonard become disgruntled and ask for a trade, there is rational fear that Porzingis could go down that path one day...

Kristaps Porzingis is in Madrid rehabbing his ACL, but he still found time to reach out to his newest teammate.

Knicks first-rounder Kevin Knox revealed that Porzingis called him on FaceTime to exchange pleasantries.

"(Thursday) night, Porzingis actually gave me a phone call," Knox said at his news conference...

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- In drafting freshman wing Kevin Knox with the No. 9 pick in the NBA Draft, Knicks' brass fell in love with his talent, upside, and Kentucky pedigree.

The Knicks could have selected Villanova's Mikal Bridges or Missouri's Michael Porter Jr. -- who some fans cheered for, booing Knox in the process. But, instead, they zeroed in on the 18-year-old Knox to fill their void on the wing. The Tampa, Fla., native will be officially introduced at the Knicks' facility on Friday.

"Kevin is a young man that we did extensive research on, we like the talent," Knicks GM Scott Perry said. "He fits what we're going to be about. What we've talked about from the very beginning, he's long, he's athletic, he can play multiple positions. I think he has tremendous upside."

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- The Knicks drafted Kentucky's Kevin Knox with an eye toward making the franchise "attractive" to free agents in 2019 -- most notably New Jersey native Kyrie Irving.

The Knicks' brass hopes that a young core of the 18-year-old Knox along with Kristaps Porzingis, Frank Ntilikina, and other promising pieces will attract free agents like Irving a year from now.

"Yeah, our goal is to make this an attractive place," Knicks President Steve Mills said when I asked him about potential free agents.

NEW YORK -- Kevin Knox is intrigued by the idea of playing for the Knicks and compared his experience at Kentucky to potentially playing in the Big Apple.

"It's kind of where everything happens, Madison Square Garden, so I think this is a big stage, great opportunity to be here," the 6-foot-9 Kentucky forward said Wednesday on the eve of the NBA Draft.

He added in reference to the huge media contingents covering the respective teams: "Kentucky is basically the New York Knicks of college basketball."

With reports swirling that Spurs F Kawhi Leonard wants to play elsewhere next season, the fit with the Knicks sounds enticing. 

For one, the Knicks were interested in going after Leonard when he becomes a free agent in 2019, per The Post's Marc Berman. However, now that Leonard wants to leave San Antonio a season early, they may not be the right fit because of one reason: Kristaps Porzingis. 

To acquire a player with Leonard's caliber, an even return would need to be in place for the Spurs. That means Porzingis would likely be mentioned in any deal if the Knicks wished to be a contender for Leonard. 

Knicks fans continue to sift through every vague update they can find on the health of star Kristaps Porzingis. The player himself spoke about his timetable while catching ACB basketball in Spain. 

The answer, as it has been since he tore his ACL against the Bucks in February, is that there is no answer yet. Porzingis doesn't have an exact date that he should be ready.

"I have to be smart. And I have a team that will help me figure that out," Porzingis told a Spanish television station, via Ian Begley of ESPN.

Maybe seeing All-Star PG Kyrie Irving in a Knicks uniform isn't fantasy after all.

The Celtics superstar said Tuesday that he won't be signing an extension with the team this offseason, which means he will become an unrestricted free agent after the 2018-19 season, per the Daily News' Stefan Bondy. 

"Contractually, financially, it just doesn't make any sense (to sign an extension with the Celtics)," he told reporters on Tuesday...

With Cavaliers F LeBron James thinking about whether or not to enter free agency yet again this offseason, former NBA All-Star and current TNT analyst, Reggie Miller, believes the Knicks could be a viable option. 

James must notify the Cavs by June 29 that he wants to stay with them next year at a price of $35 million, or take his talents elsewhere for the 2018-19 season. Teams have already been discussed like the 76ers and Lakers as potential destinations for James. 

However, the Knicks remain an option as well. Miller believes New York could land James if they pick up some other pieces in the offseason as well.

Knicks new head coach David Fizdale had many suitors this offseason. He could have taken the head coach position for the Hawks, Suns, Hornets, and Magic if he so desired. 

But the Knicks' tradition was the main selling point for Fizdale, and he is hoping his team can add to that this season. 

Fizdale considers himself a basketball history buff, and when it comes to New York, he knows it all...

Knicks GM Scott Perry hasn't given a concrete timeframe for when star Kristaps Porzingis will be able to return from ACL surgery but has given an update on when he thinks he'll be updated.

Perry, speaking on the In The Key podcast with BJ Armstrong, said he hopes to have a more specific timetable on Porzingis in September. The Latvian will be out until at least early-December, and owner James Dolan admitted in April that they have no clue when he'll return...

The Unicorn is pumped.

Kristaps Porzingis tweeted his excitement after having a conversation with new Knicks head coach David Fizdale on Thursday.

Click below to see Porzingis' tweet

When new Knicks head coach David Fizdale flies to Europe to visit with franchise player Kristaps Porzingis, he hopes he can get him to buy into a new team culture.

"I want him to feel something different," Fizdale said Thursday at the NBA Draft Combine, according to Newsday's Al Iannazzone. "I want him to feel something that when he comes back here it's going to be special for him. He's walking back into a culture and environment that's set up for winning."

Knicks star F Kristaps Porzingis hasn't been in home Latvia rehabbing his torn ACL injury as everyone expected. Instead, he is in Spain working with Real Madrid. 

Porzingis originally flew to his hometown of Leipaja, Latvia after his exit meeting with the Knicks. However, he felt that going to the world-renowned Real Madrid facilities was a better decision. 

Real Madrid's basketball team, that boasts one of the top NBA Draft prospects this year in Luka Doncic, is currently in the Final Four of EuroLeague. They are even more famous for their soccer club, which features arguably the best player in the world in Cristiano Ronaldo. 

With the NBA Draft Lottery set for Tuesday night in Chicago, the Knicks are hoping to move their draft position up for the first time since 1985. 

The Knicks pre-lottery position was third after going 24-58 during the 1984-85 season. However, with a 14.29 percent chance of having their logo selected in the lottery, the Knicks were awarded the first overall pick after NBA commissioner David Stern opened the envelope.

They would go on to select C Patrick Ewing, who was an 11-time All-Star and Hall of Fame inductee after his 17-year career. He spent 15 seasons with the Knicks, averaging 22.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game.

Jake Brown | Twitter | Accountability. Accountability. Accountability. That is something David Fizdale is ready to hammer down. And It's something that Jeff Hornacek failed to do in his two forgettable seasons coaching the Knicks.

According to Knicks president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry, current NBA players, coaches, and executives all spoke highly of Fizdale, calling him someone who holds people accountable. That attribute, mixed with being a "tireless worker" and an "innovative basketball mind," all add up to what the Knicks have been missing.

Also, a high character head coach is something the Knicks badly needed. Fizdale fills that void. Nobody used the words "high character" when speaking about Hornacek. The 43-year-old Fizdale is a dozen years younger and can get into the ears of these players. If someone is playing poorly, Fizdale will sit them...

Count Knicks legend and current broadcaster Walt Frazier among those who don't think Kristaps Porzingis will play next season after tearing his ACL.

"I don't see him playing next season," Frazier told SNY's Justine Ward on Tuesday. "I think they might sit him out. They had mentioned 10 months, so that's somewhere around January, February. Unless the Knicks are in the playoff hunt, I don't see them perhaps bringing him back next year."

In addition to Porzingis, Frazier also discussed the hiring of David Fizdale and who the Knicks should be targeting in the Draft. Click below to watch...

NEW YORK -- David Fizdale has a busy couple of weeks ahead of him now that he's officially been introduced as the new coach of the Knicks.

He will attend next week's NBA Draft Combine in Chicago with President Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry, and is also planning to jet off to Latvia to meet with Kristaps Porzingis.

"We're working on that right now, the plane's warming up," Fizdale cracked about his upcoming summit with Porzingis. Fizdale did not elaborate on his order of events, but The New York Post reported the Latvia trip will "likely" take place after the Combine, which runs May 16-20.

While answering questions on social media Monday afternoon, Knicks forward Enes Kanter had a message for the Cleveland Cavaliers' Lebron James:

"You really want to be King of New York? Come and prove it."

New Knicks head coach David Fizdale will reportedly fly to Latvia soon to meet in person with New York's All-Star forward Kristaps Porzingis, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Fizdale, who agreed to a four-year deal with the Knicks on Thursday, is expected to travel to New York next week for a news conference, and will eventually meet with Porzingis in his home country.

Knicks owner James Dolan has no definitive answer on when Kristaps Porzingis will return from a torn ACL-- he might even sit out all of next season. 

ACL recoveries typically take 6-to-9 months, but the Knicks could be without Porzingis for more than a year after he went down in early February. The injury happened as he fell awkwardly after a dunk against the Bucks.

"I've been told everything from December to him being out for the season, so I don't know what to expect on that," Dolan told Larry Brooks of NY Post. "But we can't just sit on our [expletive] while he's away. We need to develop a team and then integrate him into it when he comes back."

The 22-year-old Porzingis was averaging 22.9 points through 47 games for the Knicks in his third NBA season.

MSG executive chairman James Dolan is currently searching for two head coaches, with the Knicks and Rangers letting Jeff Hornacek and Alain Vigneault go just hours after they completed their final regular season games. For Hornacek, in particular, Dolan says he wasn't adapting to the way players deal with coaches and management in today's game. That was the main reason the Knicks wanted to make a change. 

"I think Hornacek had the same kind of issue that Phil did in that he didn't grasp how different the players are now in the way they think and deal with management and the coaches," Dolan told The Post's Larry Brooks. "I think he was way behind on that. 

Jake Brown | Twitter | James Dolan had to react to why the Knicks needed a change from Jeff Hornacek...even though Dolan isn't the go-to guy for how to do your job. We all know Dolan is far from one of the better owners in sports, but that's another story for another day. Dolan is 100 percent right on Hornacek not being able to grasp how different players are now and how they deal with coaches. It's a completely different game from when Hornacek played in the NBA in the 90's, and Hornacek just doesn't relate with the players. He wasn't the voice that the Knicks needed. The best part about Dolan saying that about both Hornacek and Phil Jackson is that...he hired them...

Knicks star F Kristaps Porzingis will be present at his exit meeting this season, per ESPN's Ian Begley.

The Latvian big man infamously skipped his exit meeting with former team president Phil Jackson last season, as he was publicly verbal about his displeasure with the team's dysfunction. Though the losing narrative hasn't changed, the Knicks' front office has seen a significant change with team president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry in place. 

Porzingis, who is currently rehabbing his torn ACL, went back to Latvia instead of sitting in his exit interview last year. He stayed out of contact with the Knicks as he trained for the European Championship with the Latvia national team.

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- When Kristaps Porzingis next plays for the Knicks, he will do so for his fourth coach.

The 7-foot-3 Latvian unicorn has already played for Derek Fisher, Kurt Rambis and Jeff Hornacek, who was fired Thursday morning.

Whoever is named the next head coach will have to develop a good relationship with Porzingis, the franchise's cornerstone player moving forward.

The Knicks can look ahead to the offseason already with no playoff hopes in the distance. And despite not being a popular destination last season, head coach Jeff Hornacek thinks he knows why.

It was Phil Jackson's triangle offense, which has since been debunked.

"I think it probably was," Hornacek told ESPN's Ian Begley. "I think we truly believe that we could blend it [into Hornacek's preferred offense.] And we found out that probably wasn't great."

As the Knicks disappointing season comes to an end, some players on the team are playing for contracts next season. And F Isaiah Hicks is making a good case for himself. 

After a nine-point performance against the Bulls on Monday night, Hicks is showing the Knicks that they could have a place for him next season. He notched 12 points and eight boards in 25 minutes against the Hornets as well. 

So, as the season has just 11 games left, seeing what Hicks brings to the table is a priority for the tanking Knicks. Head coach Jeff Hornacek loves his physical stature and athletic abilities. If he could tweak his jumpshot, he could be a solid backup to Kristaps Porzingis in the stretch-four position one day. 

Kristaps Porzingis generated buzz over the weekend after he was pictured shooting at a gym in his Manhattan apartment building on Sunday. 

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NEW YORK -- Charles Barkley may be known as a notorious Knicks hater, but fresh off hosting "Saturday Night Live" last weekend, Barkley now says the Knicks are in their best position in years, and can continue to build a playoff team via the draft and their young players.

"It's the best it's been in a long time and it's getting better," Barkley, echoing comments he made last month, said Tuesday at a CBS/Turner media brunch in Manhattan. "It's unfortunate [Kristaps] Porzingis got hurt, but I'm telling you, I think they're getting better."

Barkley said he likes the young Knicks core of Porzingis, Frank Ntilikina and Emmanuel Mudiay, and is a big fan of center Enes Kanter, who has said he hopes to retire a Knick.

Doc Rivers knows firsthand how devastating a torn ACL can be for a player, which is why he sympathizes with Kristaps Porzingis as he starts the long road back to the Madison Square Garden court. 

Rivers was playing with the Knicks when he tore his ACL in 1993-94. It was a different time, and differing circumstances as Rivers was already the wrong side of 30, but he'd play just two more seasons after the injury. Those two years saw Rivers play far fewer minutes per game than any other year of his career..

Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis posted a photo on Instagram Tuesday showing him walking with a brace just weeks after tearing his ACL in a game on Feb. 6.

Porzingis posted the photo with the caption "Everyday progress."

When Emmanuel Mudiay first met Frank Ntilikina, he immediately spoke to him in French, foreshadowing the bond the two Knicks guards have developed in their short time together as the "French Connection."

Mudiay's family escaped from the war-torn nation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2001, while Ntilikina was born in Belgium to Rwandan parents. Congo and Rwanda are neighboring nations in Africa, and both faced similar conflicts.

"They're neighboring countries and the reason why people fled from both countries is the same reason," Jean-Micheal Mudiay, Emmanel's older brother, told SNY.tv by phone from Dallas. "Them being neighboring countries, they're both involved in the same kind of war."

Celtics guard Kyrie Irving told Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis earlier this season that he "would love to play" with a player like him, he said during NBA All-Star weekend.

Hall of Famer and current TNT analyst Charles Barkley told New York not to give up on the Knicks just yet. 

While speaking at the All-Star weekend festivities, Barkley said he understands why Knicks might be frustrated after consecutive losing seasons, and the team's recent skid. But he believes the front office is building up the team in the right direction. 

For example, making Kristaps Porzingis the franchise player was the right move in Barkley's eyes. And despite being upset over his ACL injury, Barkley thinks it could help the Knicks in the long run. 

Kristaps Porzingis tweeted on Wednesday that he believes he'll be back from ACL surgery stronger than ever.

Porzingis, who had ACL surgery on Tuesday, is expected to be out at least 10 months.

Click below to see Porzingis' tweet

Kristaps Porzingis had successful surgery on Tuesday to repair the torn ACL in his left knee, the Knicks announced.

Recovery time for a torn ACL is usually between eight and 12 months, and Porzingis is expected to be out for at least 10 months, reports Ian Begley of ESPN.

The 22-year-old Porzingis was averaging 22.9 points through 47 games for the Knicks in his third NBA season, and was set to play in his first All-Star game before getting injured.

It was another Knicks loss, and yet another night where Tim Hardaway Jr. couldn't find his shooting stroke. 

Hardaway has struggled with his jumpshot recently, and it didn't get any better against the Sixers Monday night. He went 4-for-16 from the field, including an awful 0-for-8 from beyond the arc. Hardaway has particularily struggled from three, going 5-for-44 from that range over the last seven games. 

His shooting woes came to a boiling point in the locker room after the game. 

Even Enes Kanter, who has consistently said the Knicks would make the playoffs, can't look at the standings anymore. 

"It's tough. We are in the 11th spot right now. I'm probably going to stop looking at it because it would just me to see us not in the top eight," he told The Post's Fred Kerber. "So I'm going to just stop looking."

The Knicks continue to falter as the season winds down, and with Kristaps Porzingis out for the season, it looks as if New York may have to focus on next season. They were dominated by the Raptors on the road Thursday, and if that what life is going to be like without Porzingis, the Knicks have a long road ahead.