New York Knicks Will Make the NBA Finals Soon
Failed season after failed season has been the story of the New York Knicks the last couple of decades. Of course, Knicks loyalists had no reason to think last season would be any different.
Julius Randle seemed to hit his ceiling. RJ Barrett looked as if he still needed seasoning, and Obi and Immanuel would understandably need time to adjust to the NBA. The Knicks had ample cap space and fans hoped to see the team trade for a big name, but no such thing occurred.
There was hope though, especially after landing Tom Thibodeau - a well-respected defensive-minded coach - but to win in this league it seemed the recipe for success required offense and the Knicks did not have that.
What a rude awakening the 2020-21 Knicks were! To everyone’s pleasant surprise, the Knicks started to win games. Julius Randle tapped into a level that no one knew he could ascend to. He was scoring, passing, and rebounding with the best in the league.
Throughout the season, the Knicks were always ranked at least top five in the league in defense. No longer was the Garden an easy game for the top-ranked teams, a visit to the Mecca meant visiting clamp city. Eventually, the Knicks would finish 4th in the East and make the playoffs riding one of the better winning streaks in the league. Injuries and weariness eventually gave way, culminating in a first-round loss to the Hawks, 4-1.
Dropping that series against the Hawks felt like the season was a fluke. But with those same Hawks making it to the Eastern Conference Finals and looking formidable against the Bucks, it made the loss a little easier to stomach.
The Knicks have gotten better this off-season, bringing back important core pieces. They upgraded swapping one of the worst point guards in the league in Elfrid Payton with NYC native Kemba Walker. And while Reggie Bullock’s effort was second to none, the Knicks acquisition of Evan Fournier is a marked improvement.
The Knicks‘ biggest hiccup was their ability to score, and pairing a hungry Kemba with something to prove - and back home - with the league’s reigning Most Improved Player spells trouble for the East. Even looking at the competition the Knicks would have in the East, the scene doesn’t look too scary.
The 76ers can only rely on Joel to score, as they seem dead set on not trading Ben “No Buckets” Simmons. The Nets, who many have presumed to be the favorite to get out of the East, also have a range of issues that stand in their way: from an injury-prone lineup that had only played 8 games together prior to the start of the playoffs to Kyrie’s seemingly unlimited amount of “PTO” days.
Outside of their Cinderella run, the Knicks are a lot better than the Hawks now that the team has struck a better balance between offense and defense. The Bucks are another squad that may end up being over-hyped due to their run.
A deeper dive shows that both Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday still struggle with consistency. With one of the best defenses in the league, the Knicks would actually have success in setting up a wall to stop Giannis. If it all clicks together, the league may truly be looking at a serious contender in the New York Knicks.
Remember where you heard it first!
