According to The Stein Line, the New York Knicks are considering Russell Westbrook as a potential backup point guard option in free agency, and if that move comes to fruition, Boston Celtics fans everywhere should be laughing. Boston likely won’t be in a position to compete for a title next year, but if the Knicks sign Westbrook, their chances may not be much better.
As the free agency world opens up, plenty of players could end up moving teams, but Westbrook joining the Knicks wouldn’t be the best fit. The Knicks just had their best season in decades, and following it up by signing Westbrook may not work out as well as they hope.
But Celtics fans would certainly get a kick out of it.
Why would Celtics fans laugh at Knicks?
Though this past season was the first time in a long time the Celtics and Knicks squared off in the playoffs, the rivalry is undeniable. It transcends sports. Boston and New York simply do not get along.
Whether it’s the Red Sox and the Yankees or the Patriots and the Giants, the two cities are constantly praying on the other’s downfall.
New York signing Westbrook has a chance to go hilariously wrong. And if that did happen, Celtics fans would certainly find it somewhat amusing, at least from the perspective of a rival.
Why would Russell Westbrook fail with the Knicks?
Maybe he wouldn’t. Maybe Westbrook would head to New York, give them a great boost of energy, and play off the team’s role players perfectly. Anything is possible. He just did that with the Denver Nuggets.
But the Knicks aren’t the Nuggets.
Denver worked out so well because of Nikola Jokic and the floor spacing they had around Westbrook. Jokic’s ability to run the offense gave Westbrook room to make plays off the ball, cut, and hit wide-open jump shots.
Plus, he got the chance to handle the ball a little bit when Jamal Murray was on the bench. It was an extremely impactful season for Westbrook.
The Knicks already have an extremely ball-dominant point guard running the show in Jalen Brunson, and there are already some questionable shooters in the rotation. Josh Hart takes top billing there, but Mikal Bridges has been streaky, too.
Adding another poor three-point shooter to the mix who thrives with the ball in his hands isn’t ideal. The best-case scenario seems to be that Westbrook turns into a secondary, guard version of Hart. And the Knicks don’t really need another one of those types of guys.
If Westbrook ends up joining the Knicks, it may not be pretty.