The New York Knicks were one of the surprise teams in the NBA last season, claiming the 4-seed in the Eastern Conference and making the playoffs for the first-time since 2013, but this season has not been as kind to them.
While they did begin the season 5-1, the Knicks have hit a rough patch as of late, winning just 5 of their last 15 games. With guys starting to come back from health protocols and Kemba Walker starting to find his footing once again, maybe New York will be able to turn things around, but something just doesn’t seem right with this team.
Julius Randle has had his fair share of struggles following his All-Star and Most Improved Player season, R.J. Barrett has shown now signs of improvement from a season ago and the entire Knicks’ defense has really struggled compared to last season.
The Knicks allowed just 104.7 points per game to opponents last season, the best in the league and they ranked 3rd in defensive rating, but so far this season, they rank 21st in the league in defensive rating and are allowing an average of 106.8 points per game, 13th in the league.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: This Lakers-Rockets Trade Sends Eric Gordon To Los Angeles
Fixing things on defense is definitely a priority for this team if they are to make it back to the playoffs, but a lot of their struggles defensively are direct results from their offense underachieving.
One of the New York Knicks’ biggest problems as a team last season was that they did not have enough scoring weapons to turn to and while they did bring in both Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker to try and solve this issue, neither player has been consistent.
Finding another key scorer on the perimeter, preferably someone who can be a three-point shooting threat, could be vital for this team ahead of the trade deadline, which is why the Knicks should strongly consider pursuing Houston Rockets veteran Eric Gordon.
Now in his 14th NBA season, Gordon is the epitome of a contributing veteran player in this league and he has continued finding success in Houston with a young roster. The 33-year-old shooting guard is averaging 14.6 points and shooting 44.1% from deep on the year, as well as helping make a difference on defense.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: This Lakers-Rockets Trade Sends Eric Gordon To Los Angeles
Throughout his entire career, Eric Gordon has been a steady, consistent two-way factor for his teams and there is some rumored interest in Gordon from the Knicks’ front-office. Marc Berman of The New York Post reported not too long ago that New York needs another three-point shooter like Gordon and that Derrick Rose tried to recruit him to the Knicks when he joined them ahead of the 2016-17 season.
With Eric Gordon being a good friend of Derrick Rose’s and the New York Knicks having an opening for another wing scorer, could they look to target the now 33-year-old vet from the Houston Rockets? Let’s take a look at what this trade could look like.
