Returning the Garden to Eden | Maize's Knicks 2.0

[Maize08]

I've always been intrigued by the Knicks franchise and I have attempted franchises in the past. I had posted one before, but I put it aside for other franchises I was doing at the time.

Now, I think this is a very interesting time in the history of the franchise. It seems they've reached bottom, with recent seasons being filled with laughable moments at MSG. Support for the front office and ownership has plummeted and everyone would love to see major changes with the Knicks.

This franchise report is aiming to do exactly that: Make the Knicks a contender. I want to keep this as realistic as possible and I have a long timetable, so I probably won't do game-by-game results because I would like this to last multiple seasons.

The Rundown
Game: NBA 2K20 on PS4
Roster: Official 2K Roster (On November 25th)
Draft Class: jackmove's 2020 through 2023 Draft Classes
Difficulty: All-Star
Gameplay: 9 Minutes with Custom Sliders

[Maize08]

Re: Returning the Garden to Eden | Maize's Knicks 2.0

History

Retired Numbers
10, 12, 15, 15, 19, 22, 24, 33, 613

NBA Championships 2 (1970, 1973)
Conference Titles 8 (1951, '52, '53, '70, '72, '73, '94, '99)
Division Titles 5 (1971, '89, '93, '94, '13)

New York Knicks Awards & Honors
Title	Player	Year
NBA Most Valuable Player	Willis Reed	1970
NBA Rookie of the Year	Willis Reed	1965
	Patrick Ewing	1986
	Mark Jackson	1988
NBA Defensive POY	Tyson Chandler	2012
NBA Sixth Man of the Year	Anthony Mason	1995
	John Starks	1997
	J.R. Smith	2013
NBA Coach of the Year	Red Holzman	1970
	Pat Riley	1993
NBA Scoring Champion	Bernard King	1985
	Carmelo Anthony	2013
All-NBA First Team	Harry Gallatin	1954
	Walt Frazier	1970, ‘72, ‘74, ‘75
	Willis Reed	1970
	Bernard King	1984, ‘85
	Patrick Ewing	1990

[Maize08]

Re: Returning the Garden to Eden | Maize's Knicks 2.0

Season Reviews

2018-19 Season
Overall Record: 17-65
Record at Home: 9-32
Standings: 5th in Atlantic | 15th in East
Stats Leaders:

Spoiler

Points: Tim Hardaway Jr. - 19.1 PPG
Rebounds: DeAndre Jordan - 11.4 RPG
Assists: Dennis Smith Jr. - 5.4 APG
Steals: Dennis Smith Jr. - 1.3 SPG
Blocks: Mitchell Robinson - 2.4 BPG

Player Awards: Mitchell Robinson, All-Rookie 2nd Team
League MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
NBA Finals: Toronto Raptors over Golden State Warriors in 6 games

2019-20 Season
Overall Record: 26-56
Record at Home: 14-27
Standings: 5th in Atlantic | 14th in East
Stats Leaders:

Spoiler

Points: Julius Randle - 16.2 PPG
Rebounds: Hassan Whiteside - 11.3 RPG
Assists: Elfrid Payton - 4.8 APG
Steals: Frank Ntilikina - 1.4 SPG
Blocks: Mitchell Robinson - 1.9 BPG

Player Awards: R.J. Barrett, All-Rookie 1st Team
League MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
NBA Finals: Los Angeles Lakers over Toronto Raptors in 6 games

[Maize08]

Re: Returning the Garden to Eden | Maize's Knicks 2.0

The Wall Street Journal

MSG Completes Spinoff of Sports Assets | January 18, 2020
Madison Square Garden Company has completed a spinoff of their coveted sports assets from the company's large holding of entertainment venues. The move was finalized after months of speculation about the specifics of the oft rumored spinoff.

For the past three years, the investment case for owning Madison Square Garden has been built on the argument that it’s trading at a discount to its sum-of-the-parts valuation. The company saw an opportunity to get the value of their total assets closer to the company's actual stock price.

That was indeed the case as the spinoff culminated with the stock price for the sports assets at $148 per share - giving the sports assets a valuation close to $7.5 billion (close to market value).

The new publicly traded spinoff, Madison Square Garden Sports, includes the New York Knicks and Rangers franchises. Also included is the NBA2k League's Knicks Gaming team and a majority stake in Counter Logic Gaming (a competitive eSports organization). In terms of physical assets, there is also a multi-sport training center in Greenburgh, New York.

The completed spinoff also allowed the company to reinvest in their live entertainment investments; notably, two new live entertainment venues. The first, the MSG Sphere in Las Vegas, has seen increased costs delay construction for the state-of-the-art, 18,000 seat venue. An identical MSG Sphere is being built in East London, with construction set to begin later this year. The Vegas venue is set to open in early 2021.

The projects have become costly, with the London project also receiving pushback from the local community. The spinoff was a lucrative opportunity to help pay for the increase in costs; although the current state of the sports franchises led to a lower valuation. Part of that was separating the media rights and arena ownership from the sports teams.

It has been rumored that this move could lead to a sale of the sports franchises. That seems more likely after the Dolan family (Majority owners for MSG and MSG Sports) was unable to get the money they needed for their current construction projects.

The spinoff does give a more accurate asking price for the Knicks and Rangers. The Dolan family has long been under scrutiny for their ownership of the Knicks and Rangers. However, they have never shown much interest in selling the teams.

James Dolan, Chairman of MSG, has long been a controversial figure in the eyes of New York sports fans. Given the current state of the Knicks' franchise, he has come under pressure to make changes to the team's front office personnel. Dolan has been quiet, but the timing of the spinoff has many speculating about the future of the Knicks.

[Maize08]

Re: Returning the Garden to Eden | Maize's Knicks 2.0

New York Daily News

Knicks Make Swap of Expirings with Blazers Before Deadline | January 26, 2020
General Manager Scott Perry told the media that the Knicks would be active before February's trade deadline. On Tuesday, the team completed a trade with Portland that sent Marcus Morris and Taj Gibson to the Blazers for Hassan Whiteside, Antony Tolliver and two second round picks.

The move comes as Portland was aggressive in attempting to lower their pending luxury tax bill. Before Tuesday's trade, Portland was set to pay a $25.6 million tax bill. The $4.7 million dollar difference in salary will save Portland almost $9 million as they reduce the amount that they're over the luxury tax.

Portland was also able to make this trade with the return of Jusuf Nurkic. As Nurkic got healthy, Whiteside's minute decreased as he took a bench role. The team began shopping Whiteside recently and the Knicks became interested partners given their own team health.

Mitchell Robinson has missed 10 games due to injury this season. Beyond Robinson, the team was having trouble getting a reliable rotation around Julius Randle and Bobby Portis in the front court.

Shipping out Marcus Morris also means an expanded role for Kevin Knox, who also gets to play more minutes at small forward. Throughout the season, as Coach Fizdale has experimented with the rotation, Knox has gotten extended looks at shooting guard.

The move should allow the Knicks to play Kevin Knox and rookie R.J. Barrett together - something many Knicks fans have been demanding. It also gives the front office a half-season tryout for Whiteside; who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

General Manager Scott Perry commented on the trade, saying he was excited to bring in Whiteside and a "strong veteran presence" in Anthony Tolliver. The journeyman has become a reliable shooter and rotation player. Beyond that, adding two future picks (in 2020 and 2024) allows the team to keep building draft capital.

The Knicks have two days off before a road game with the Pacers. It's expected both Whiteside and Tolliver will be available for the game.

They'll enter that game with the league's worst record, 12-37. Another difficult season will seemingly get easier for fans, who should now get a chance to see more minutes from future franchise players.

[Maize08]

Re: Returning the Garden to Eden | Maize's Knicks 2.0

NBA News

NBA Trade Deadline - Trades Before the Deadline
12/10: WAS trades Ish Smith to ATL for Damian Jones
12/15: PHI trades Shake Milton, ‘23 2nd Rd. to SAS for Chimezie Metu, ‘20 2nd Rd.
12/17: HOU trades Isaiah Hartenstein, ‘24 2nd Rd. to DET for Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk
1//6: SAC trades Trevor Ariza to CHI for Christiano Felicio
1/7: UTA trades Ed Davis to PHI for Raul Neto, ‘21 2nd Rd. Pick Swap
1/26: POR trades Hassan Whiteside, Anthony Tolliver, 2 2nds to NYK for Marcus Morris, Taj Gibson
1/28: ATL trades Vince Carter to HOU for ‘23 2nd Rd., ‘21 2nd Rd. Pick Swap
1/30: OKC trades Danilo Gallinari to POR for Kent Bazemore, Rodney Hood, ‘22 1st Rd. (Top 10 Protected)

[Maize08]

Re: Returning the Garden to Eden | Maize's Knicks 2.0

New York Daily News

Dolan Family "Open" to Sale of Majority Stake in MSG Sports | February 15, 2020
James Dolan, Chairman of the Madison Square Garden Co., has long been a controversial owner of the Knicks and Rangers. After the completed spinoff of the Dolan family's sports franchises from their stake in entertainment venues; it was believed the Dolan family would remain owners of the new Madison Square Garden Sports company.

That is currently the case, although James Dolan was asked about his majority ownership during the NBA's All Star Weekend in Chicago. Dolan said that it would take "a great offer" for him and his family to consider selling. All Star Weekend is often the time that league executives and owners come together to discuss the machinations of the league. This year is no different, with the big news being Dolan's attitude toward a potential sale of the Knicks and Rangers.

Currently, it seems Dolan's main focus is on the construction of the state-of-the-art Sphere entertainment complexes in Las Vegas and London. In fact, the spinoff was structured as tax-free and a chance for the Dolan family to bring the value of the two company's stocks closer to the valuation of their included assets. Thus, they sold off some common shares as a way to free up money to invest in their two, major construction projects.

The increased cost has become a headache, much like the public scrutiny that James Dolan has faced as Owner of the Knicks and Rangers. The Dolan family has has ownership in MSG since 1994, with James taking a controlling interest in the Knicks and Rangers in 1999.

In that time, Dolan has faced public backlash over the team's performance and his mismanagement of the front office (most notably with the Knicks). The buzz around Chicago for All Star weekend was on the potential sale, which would be seen as a boon for the NBA.

Much like the sale of the Clippers from Donald Sterling; even dealing with a difficult owner, the sale could be crucial to understand the value of the NBA's 30 franchises. The Knicks are often seen as the most valuable NBA franchise.

It is unknown what price it would take to free the sports franchises from the Dolans. Also, even with his recent comments and focus on his entertainment company, there is no guarantee that James Dolan is looking to sell. If he is interested in selling, it would take an offer likely to be in the $7 to $8 billion dollar range.

[Maize08]

Re: Returning the Garden to Eden | Maize's Knicks 2.0

New York Daily News

Knicks Begin to Focus on Young Pieces Post-Fizdale | February 24, 2020
After the NBA All-Star weekend, the Knicks are beginning to take a hard look at their future. Earlier this season, when David Fizdale was fired as Head Coach, part of the front offices' concern was over the development of the team's younger players.

While Fizdale was constantly shuffling the rotation, he kept a short leash on some of the team's younger players. While they struggled to win games, Fizdale kept an eye on finding a competitive balance. Too often, that meant favoring veteran players and benching younger players like Mitchell Robinson and Kevin Knox.

The roster imbalance also caused players like Kevin Knox to play out of position. Since the firing of Fizdale, the team also traded away two forwards to clear minutes for Kevin Knox and rookie R.J. Barrett to play together.

Interim Head Coach Mike Miller has been tasked with focusing on player development. It has caused the Knicks to continue to slide, as they're on pace for possibly their worst season in franchise history.

Still, there are bright spots. Mitchell Robinson looks like a impact player on defense, especially when he can play through the foul trouble that has plagued him this season.

R.J. Barrett is showing his offensive prowess, something that was on display during the league's Rising Stars game over All-Star weekend.

While the future of the franchise remains in flux, it seems the front office is now in-step with the coaching staff and ownership on the direction of the rest of this season.

[Maize08]

Re: Returning the Garden to Eden | Maize's Knicks 2.0

New York Daily News

Group Assembled to Purchase MSG Sports |March 3, 2020
On Monday morning, it was announced that a new sports management group had been created with the goal of purchasing MSG Sports. Led by Arn Tellem, a longtime sports agent and recent member of the Detroit Pistons front office, Tellem has left his post with the Pistons for this new sports management venture.

The principal investor in the new group is hedge-fund executive Steven Cohen. Previously, Cohen had put in a bid to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers. Back in 2011, Cohen tapped Tellem to lead negotiations when Cohen put together a group of investors to buy the Dodgers.

Now, Cohen and Tellem are at the head of the New York Premiere Sports Management Group (NYPSMG). It is believed that Cohen would be putting up the most money in an attempt to purchase the New York Knicks and Rangers.

Cohen, 63, is the founder of hedge fund Point72 and previously ran S.A.C. Capital Advisors. A New York native, he grew up in Great Neck, where is father ran a dress company in Manhattan's garment district. A longtime New York sports fan, he recently became the majority owner of the New York Mets.

Having owned a small minority share in the Mets, he increased his ownership stake in 2019. As part of the negotiation to buy the Mets, Cohen left the Wilpons in charge of the Mets for five years. By 2025, Cohen will own "over 80%" of the New York Mets.

Now setting his sights on the Knicks and Rangers - Cohen is building a team of investors to join his newly formed management group. Cohen himself is estimated to be worth $13.6 billion. That makes him the 35th wealthiest person in America, as reported by Forbes.

If Cohen and Tellem are successful in purchasing the Knicks and Rangers, it would cause a seismic shift in the sports landscape in New York. The Dolan family has long been difficult to negotiate with; but Cohen just successfully negotiated a deal with the Wilpons regarding the Mets.

Cohen has publicly stated that he would want a deal in place before the next NBA and NHL seasons. He did not mention a price, but it's reported that any deal for a majority stake in MSG Sports would be north of $7 billion.

[RMJH4]

Re: Returning the Garden to Eden | Maize's Knicks 2.0

Yesss!! Sell the Knicks Dolan!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Maize08]

Re: Returning the Garden to Eden | Maize's Knicks 2.0

The Wall Street Journal

Investor Group Finalizes Deal to Buy MSG Sports | March 23, 2020
The newly formed New York Premiere Sports Management Group (NYPSMG) has put in a formal bid to buy majority control of MSG Sports. Currently, the Dolan family owns 21% of the shares outstanding and 71% of the voting shares. The sale would be for a majority of the voting shares.

The investor group, led by billionaire hedge fund executive Steven Cohen, has recently announced the addition of prominent investors. Notably, Jason Levien and Steven Kaplan - who own Swansea F.C. of the English Premier League. Joining Kaplan and Levien is Daniel Straus, who along with Kaplan, had previously been a minority owner of the Memphis Grizzlies.

Last year, Kaplan and Straus, put together a joint bid to buy a majority ownership stake in the Grizzlies from Robert Pera. That move was part of a buyback clause in the Grizzlies' ownership structure. Pera ultimately bought out Kaplan and Straus' minority stakes - in a deal that valued the Grizzlies at $1.31 billion. Meaning their 14% ownership stake in the Grizzlies netted them $184 million in the buyback sale.

Getting Straus and Kaplan added to the group of investors is important when considering the role of the NBA and NHL in this process. The leagues will have to approve a sale and Straus and Kaplan have been previously vetted by the NBA.

It's being reported that Cohen would take the Chairman position from James Dolan; with his investment group taking a majority of the Dolan's 71% voting shares. The deal would not include ownership of Madison Square Gardens, which remains an asset of the Dolan's and MSG Entertainment.

Given the deal would keep the Rangers and Knicks in MSG, the Dolan's would also keep a small share in MSG Sports and a piece of their voting shares. Keeping the Dolan's in the picture has been an important negotiation piece, much like Cohen's deal for the Mets and keeping the Wilpon family in charge for a set amount of time.

All sides in the negotiation would like a deal in place before the summer. The Knicks franchise in particular could be going through front office changes this offseason. That would likely be up to new ownership, if the sale can get cleared early in the offseason.

[Maize08]

Re: Returning the Garden to Eden | Maize's Knicks 2.0

NBA News

2019-19 NBA Awards
Award	Player	Pos	Team
Most Valuable Player	Giannis Antetokounmpo	SF	Milwaukee Bucks
Rookie of the Year	Ja Morant	PG	Memphis Grizzlies
Sixth Man of the Year	Dennis Schroder	PG	Oklahoma City Thunder
Defensive Player of the Year	Kawhi Leonard	SF	L.A. Clippers
Most Improved Player	Bam Adebayo	C	Miami Heat
Coach of the Year	Mike Budenholzer		Milwaukee Bucks
All-NBA 1st Team
All-NBA 1st Team	James Harden	SG	Houston Rockets
	Luka Doncic	SG	Dallas Mavericks
	Giannis Antetokounmpo	SF	Milwaukee Bucks
	LeBron James	SF	L.A. Lakers
	Joel Embiid	C	Philadelphia 76ers
All-NBA 2nd Team
All-NBA 2nd Team	Damian Lillard	PG	Portland Trail Blazers
	Russell Westbrook	PG	Houston Rockets
	Kawhi Leonard	SF	L.A. Clippers
	Anthony Davis	PF	L.A. Lakers
	Karl-Anthony Towns	C	Minnesota Timberwolves
All-NBA 3rd Team
All-NBA 3rd Team	Ben Simmons	PG	Philadelphia 76ers
	Kemba Walker	PG	Boston Celtics
	Jimmy Butler	SF	Miami Heat
	Paul George	SF	L.A. Clippers
	Nikola Jokic	C	Denver Nuggets
All-Defensive 1st Team
All-Defensive 1st Team	Jrue Holiday	PG	New Orleans Pelicans
	Chris Paul	PG	Oklahoma City Thunder
	Kawhi Leonard	SF	L.A. Clippers
	Giannis Antetokounmpo	SF	Milwaukee Bucks
	Rudy Gobert	C	Utah Jazz
All-Defensive 2nd Team
All-Defensive 2nd Team	Eric Bledsoe	PG	Milwaukee Bucks
	Marcus Smart	SG	Boston Celtics
	Paul George	SF	L.A. Clippers
	Anthony Davis	PF	L.A. Lakers
	Andre Drummond	C	Detroit Pistons
All-Rookie 1st Team
All-Rookie 1st Team	Ja Morant	PG	Memphis Grizzlies
	R.J. Barrett	SG	New York Knicks
	Tyler Herro	SG	Miami Heat
	Brandon Clarke	PF	Memphis Grizzlies
	De'Andre Hunter	PF	Atlanta Hawks
All-Rookie 2nd Team
All-Rookie 2nd Team	Darius Garland	PG	Cleveland Cavaliers
	Kendrick Nunn	PG	Miami Heat
	Rui Hachimura	PF	Washington Wizards
	Eric Paschall	PF	Golden State Warriors
	Jaxson Hayes	C	New Orleans Pelicans

[Maize08]

Re: Returning the Garden to Eden | Maize's Knicks 2.0

NBA News

Western Conference Playoffs


#1 L.A. Lakers (61-21) vs. #8 Portland Trail Blazers (39-43)


#4 Utah Jazz (47-35) vs. #5 Denver Nuggets (47-35)


#3 Houston Rockets (48-34) vs. #6 Dallas Mavericks (43-39)


#2 L.A. Clippers (59-23) vs. #7 Oklahoma City Thunder (41-41)

Standings for Non-Playoff Teams
#9 Sacramento Kings (38-44)
#10 Minnesota Timberwolves (37-45)
#11 Golden State Warriors (36-46)
#12 Memphis Grizzlies (34-48)
#13 New Orleans Pelicans (34-48)
#14 San Antonio Spurs (32-50)
#15 Phoenix Suns (31-51)

[Maize08]

Re: Returning the Garden to Eden | Maize's Knicks 2.0

NBA News

Eastern Conference Playoffs


#1 Milwaukee Bucks (64-18) vs. #8 Detroit Pistons (38-44)


#4 Toronto Raptors (51-31) vs. #5 Miami Heat (47-35)


#3 Philadelphia 76ers (55-27) vs. #6 Indiana Pacers (42-40)


#2 Boston Celtics (57-25) vs. #7 Brooklyn Nets (41-41)

Standings for Non-Playoff Teams
#9 Orlando Magic (37-45)
#10 Charlotte Hornets (36-46)
#11 Washington Wizards (35-47)
#12 Chicago Bulls (33-49)
#13 Cleveland Cavaliers (26-56)
#14 New York Knicks (25-57)
#15 Atlanta Hawks (16-66)

[Maize08]

Re: Returning the Garden to Eden | Maize's Knicks 2.0

NBA News

Western Conference First Round Results


#1 L.A. Lakers defeat #8 Portland Trail Blazers in 5 games


#5 Denver Nuggets defeat #4 Utah Jazz in 5 games


#6 Dallas Mavericks defeat #3 Houston Rockets in 7 games


#2 L.A. Clippers defeat #7 Oklahoma City Thunder in 5 games

Western Conference Semi-Finals


#1 L.A. Lakers vs. #5 Denver Nuggets


#2 L.A. Clippers vs. #6 Dallas Mavericks