Phil Jackson‘s hiring as President of Basketball Operations for the New York Knicks carried enormous expectations due to his record-setting coaching career and somewhat ridiculous contract. Some experts questioned if a rookie executive was up to the task of fixing a team in utter shambles, or if he was dedicated enough to work the strenuous schedule that came with this incredible task.

He was criticized all season for an allegedly indifferent attitude towards his job. Free agency was his first real test to prove all of his doubters wrong. He nailed it.

The Knicks added four quality players to their team, all of whom are expected to be involved in the rotation. Of course, the prize was defensive center Robin Lopez. New York overpaid for Lopez at four-years, $54 million, but that is what you have to do to get good players when you are a bad team.

The twin brother of Brooklyn Nets star Brook Lopez, he was drafted by the Phoenix Suns, then signed with the New Orleans Hornets, having his breakout season and establishing himself with the Portland Trail Blazers last season as one of the best defensive big men in the game. Lopez is exactly what the Knicks lacked this season without Tyson Chandler, a center who can protect the rim and rebound.

Like Chandler, Lopez struggles when moved outside of the paint, which is why they added a proficient backup in Kyle O’Quinn. The former Orlando Magic center/forward and native of Jamaica, Queens signed a four-year, $16 million contract. O’Quinn’s numbers aren’t gaudy but he is an excellent passer and has a good mid-range jump shot. He’s one of the more unsung backups in the league because of where he played and will now get to showcase his skills more prominently.

As fruitful as these two signings were New York still had other massive holes to fill. They needed a scorer.

Arron Afflalo, the journeyman swingman, proved he can be a legitimate scoring threat in his short time with the Magic. He is an excellent spot up shooter and perimeter defender. He expanded his game beyond being a three point shooting threat in Orlando and it opened up new options for him and his teammates.

Maybe the greatest asset in signing Afflalo is that he played with Carmelo Anthony on the Denver Nuggets for two seasons. Anyone who can mesh well with Anthony is a good thing. After being traded from Orlando before this season, his numbers sharply declined, especially after a disastrous trade deadline deal to the Trail Blazers. The Knicks were able to get him at a bargain price of just two years and $16 million.

They are hoping his short Portland tenure is an apparition and he can revert to his prominent 3-point shooting and scoring abilities. They had a multitude of expiring contracts this summer so they needed to add depth to their roster; why not take a risk at the same time?

Derrick Williams, former No. 2 overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2011 NBA Draft out of Arizona, is rapidly approaching the bust label no prospect wants to hear. The Knicks are hoping they found a diamond in the rough with Williams, taking a chance on him with just a two-year, $10 million deal. The 24 year-old power forward will play on this weak team, but his minutes are up to him.

The Knicks were smart. They realized who they could get and they got them. It was a solid building block of an offseason for the monumental rebuilding process that lies ahead.

Grade: B+

Chipper Murphy is a Beat Writer for the New York Knicks on www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChipperMurphy, “Like” him on Facebook.