Magic Johnson thinks the Knicks need their swagger back.
The Hall of Famer believes New York lost its toughness and edge after trading Donte DiVincenzo to the Timberwolves in the Karl-Anthony Towns deal, which he believes cost the team in the Eastern Conference finals against the Pacers.
“The swagger left the Knicks when [DiVincenzo] got traded, and they don’t have that swagger again,” Johnson said on ESPN’s “Get Up” on Thursday. “See, they got nice guys, but they don’t have tough, mean guys, and that’s what Donte brought to the table.”
Johnson said DiVincenzo would have been a perfect answer to Indiana’s depth and physicality, which seemingly wore out the Knicks’ top-heavy roster over the six-game series.
“I love what Donte brought from the bench when he came on the floor, and New York Knicks fans loved him because he was tough, he was mean, but also he could score,” Johnson said.
In his one season in New York, DiVincenzo proved to be a volume scorer when needed, with no better example than last season’s second-round series against the Pacers, when the Villanova product stepped up to average 22.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
DiVincenzo’s role in that series was elevated with the Knicks ravaged by injury, but the shooting guard was a key offensive contributor all year, and he averaged a career-high 15.5 points in the regular season.
And the tough, mean persona Johnson speaks of was on display throughout the season, with DiVincenzo never afraid to get into it with opposing players and stand up for his teammates.
That didn’t stop Leon Rose and the Knicks from dealing DiVincenzo and Julius Randle to the Timberwolves for Towns last offseason — a move Johnson seems to think was a mistake, even if New York advanced to its first conference finals in 25 years behind the duo of KAT and Jalen Brunson.
“[DiVincenzo] could get you 15 to 25 points when he came off that bench and they missed that, that contribution that he brought to the team,” Johnson added.