The Knicks Fill Out the Foundation; Wait For Star
Saying goodbye is never easy, especially when the time together felt so short. This was the sentiment of many Knicks fans when they learned of the Obi Toppin trade, which cleared room for the team to sign Donte DiVincenzo, another Villanova standout.
Toppin was certainly a fan favorite and a human highlight reel when he got to play, but time was never Toppin’s friend in New York. He’ll now get to play with Tyrese Haliburton, a rising star the Knicks could have drafted instead of Toppin. T he underwhelming return from Indiana, a pair of future second-round picks, is more digestible if you connect the dots to the team’s key free agency signing-Donte DiVincenzo.
The home run swing on a second star remains on hold; this summer was about the base hit. The team is keeping a wandering eye on other star players-two currently reside 80 miles south in Philly-but made their main target DiVincenzo. They signed him Saturday night to a four-year, $50 million deal. The Knicks are hoping DiVincenzo can shore up the second unit, a surprising Achilles heel for the team in the second round loss against the Heat.
DiVincenzo slides into the shooting guard slot off the bench alongside Immanuel Quickley in the backcourt and could be used as a spot starter. With Josh Hart, Isaiah Hartenstein, and an Obi Toppin replacement to be named, the bench unit is well-rounded and improved in two key areas-three-point shooting and defense.
DiVincenzo is more of a Tom Thibodeau-type player than Obi Toppin will ever be. He spent one season in the Golden State Warriors machine and before that won a championship in Milwaukee. DiVincenzo used his lone season in the Bay Area to regain his form after a tough 2021–22 campaign.
He made the most of sharing the floor with the likes of Stephen Curry, playing a role the Knicks hope he can replicate in New York. The numbers don’t pop off the screen, but DiVincenzo shot well from three (39.7%) and was a plus-defender playing a reserve and spot-starter role.
His endless energy will be put to the test by Thibodeau, who can’t help himself from playing guys who know how to play defense.
The chemistry between DiVincenzo and his former college teammates, Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson will likely feel seamless. It did not take Hart and Brunson long to pick up where they left off, you can imagine Brunson will adjust easily to DiVincenzo, who is not just a former teammate but best friend and former roommate.
The accumulation of the 2018 Villanova Wildcats championship team seems to be working, the knicks are two-for-two so far with Brunson and Hart, who felt strongly enough to get his old teammate here that he opted to cash out later rather than sooner.
DiVincenzo brings the same approach to the floor that Hart and Brunson do. In the stretches when Thibodeau goes to the Super Nova lineup, expect fun moments. DiVincenzo is very similar to Hart, only he is the better shooter while Hart is the better driver; both are constantly moving to make things happen.
Above all, the signing, coupled with the Toppin trade, solidified the core the team wants to move forward with. They have a star in Brunson, a capable cast led by Julius Randle and RJ Barrett, and now the ‘Nova boys. The final order of business now is an Immanuel Quickley extension. Unlike Toppin, Quickley fits the infrastructure the front office has spent three years building and is a major reason for the team’s improvement last season.
The Knicks have their star in Brunson, giving them time to wait for the perfect pairing. Who knows what goes down with Joel Embiid if James Harden is traded? Donovan Mitchell could once again be available, and Karl-Anthony Towns is lurking in Minnesota. Another star will always shake loose.
This summer was all about shoring up immediate weaknesses; DiVincenzo represents just that. He makes the team better and is like-minded to many players on the roster. Now, when a star becomes available, he knows what type of environment he is stepping into.
Moving forward requires tough decisions. The Toppin trade was an example of that. When the time comes for the big swing, even tougher decisions lie ahead.
As the top of the East goes through some reshuffling, the Knicks improved and remained flexible enough to make a future move. For now, the team made their best player more comfortable-a successful summer, if not an entertaining one. After enough fruitless free agency moves to last a lifetime, a quiet but efficient offseason is a nice change of pace.
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Originally published at https://theknickswall.com on July 3, 2023.
