Knicks Preview: Heading into the 2024-25 Season

Recap:

Heading into this upcoming season, the Knicks have the most hype for this franchise in years. This comes after a promising season that was cut short in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. A case can be made the series loss was partially related to the injuries that the gritty squad sustained. Star forward Julius Randle was a huge loss come playoff time, sustaining a season ending shoulder injury earlier in the season. Other players on the team saw over 40 minutes a game and may have worn on them, such as a Josh Hart or Jalen Brunson, who injured his hand at the end of the series. The injury bug caught Mitchell Robinson and OG Anunoby once again as well, with more injuries against Philadelphia in the first round. With all of these lingering injuries and the lack of depth because of it catching up, it was difficult for the Knicks to get ahead of a deep team like Indiana.

Fast forward to the offseason, where the Knicks have done serious damage the past few seasons when making important improvements to the roster. Many issues came to question following the playoff exit. General manager Leon Rose had some work to do in trying to make this team a true title contender. This began with expanding the "Villanova Knicks", with a huge trade including forward Mikal Bridges from Brooklyn. It came with a price however, as the Knicks gave up five first-round picks, a second round pick, and a pick swap within the blockbuster trade. The good news, they didn't give up any significant pieces to the roster, especially in news of Miles McBride being in the deal. This being part of a crucial offseason, including re-signing big man Precious Achiuwa, and signing guard Cameron Payne. Small pieces, but important in building a winning roster. Re-signing forward OG Anunoby was one of the biggest pieces for the team, as other teams were gunning for the elite defender. The real big loss for the team, was losing out on the Isaiah Hartenstein sweepstakes in free agency, as he was a huge piece in the Knicks' playoff run the previous season. Rounding out the offseason with drafting guard Tyler Kolek to increase guard depth, and signing guard Landry Shamet along with forward Marcus Morris to exhibit nine contracts.

All this being said, leads us into the season beginning next month. Still trying to complete their 15-man roster, the Knicks will be looking at one of the deepest units in basketball.

Looking Forward:

1. Guard Depth

   
   

   With returning superstar Jalen Brunson back to healthy status, the team is in good hands. However, the bench unit struggled at times to be able to fill voids with Brunson on the bench. This was one of the pieces the team addressed in the offseason when looking at additions. It started with retaining Deuce McBride, who had an outstanding season off the bench unit. He adds much needed defense and perimeter shooting, you can call him the spark off the bench. Next drafting Tyler Kolek out of Marquette was a huge steal for the Knicks. Coming off being one of the best players in the nation, Kolek has shown how much of a floor general he can be. This can be crucial if he were to come in and run the offense while being able to facilitate to the surrounding players. Finally, adding free agent Cam Payne was the last piece when increasing depth at the position. This is a guy who has shown flashes of being a productive backup, proving his ability to score at times and facilitate when needed. With all of these pieces brings promise to the team as a whole knowing they have guys they can rely on to run the offense.

   
   

2. Defense

   
   

   With the addition of Bridges, the Knicks arguably have the best defensive wing pairing in the league with Anunoby returning as well. Not to mention Josh Hart going back to the bench unit being a defensive swiss army knife additionally. DiVincenzo rounding out the defensive wings is a huge help when looking at the impressive lineups they'll be facing. With hopes of a healthy Mitchell Robinson, the interior defense should be able to handle itself just fine, along with Achiuwa being a solid defender when called upon. Like mentioned with Hart and company, the bench unit brings the likes of McBride in on top of things, where the young guard has shown extreme prowess with his on ball assignments. You put this all together with a defensive heavy coach in Tom Thibodeau, and you have one of the strongest defensive teams in the league.

   
   

3. Jalen Brunson is 1A

   
   

   This guy taking a paycut in his contract shows how much he wants to win in New York. You add that with his play in the playoffs last season and you have a superstar for the Knicks. Becoming an all-star for the first time in his career with 28.7 points per game in the regular season along with 6.7 assists and 40% from beyond the arc. He helped will the injury ridden Knicks to a playoff series win against Philadelphia with 32.4 points per game and 7.5 assists. This is incredible promise to have this level of scorer and player in New York. We have not seen this caliber of player since Carmelo Anthony, which Brunson may be in line already to taking his spot as an all-time Knick. He is absolutely one of the best players in the league heading into this season, and Knicks' fans should be excited for him to lead this team once again with an even better supporting cast.

   
   

4. Getting Healthy

   
   

   Like mentioned previously, this team struggled to stay healthy come playoff time last season. The biggest hit coming from Randle, which put him out for half of the season. Getting him back may be bigger than people realize, as he was finding his way last season with this squad. With the new additions, there is no reason he can't find his role back in this team come start of the season. It'll be nice for Robinson to play a full season, because the Knicks will certainly need him in the playoffs. Similar to Robinson is Anunoby, who struggles to stay healthy throughout seasons. Anunoby will also be a key factor on both sides of the ball in the playoffs, playing as an x-factor for the team. Hart and Brunson sustained injuries in the playoffs, but nothing to get anxious over as both will be healthy come first game. Being able to hold this starting lineup together followed by the strong bench unit is ever so important for this team to find success this season. Hopefully Bridges can share some of his powers with the rest of the team in playing the whole season.

   
   

5. The Competition Out East

   
   

   There's no question that the Eastern Conference has strong teams, however it is quite top heavy when comparing it to the Western Conference. Having the defending champs to compete with is not an easy task in the Celtics. Looking around though, Philadelphia and Milwaukee look to be the best threats to New York. With teams like Cleveland and Indiana showing their teeth a little bit, they might not have the strength to compete with a team like Boston or New York heading into the playoffs. Given the improvement and health, there's no reason the Knicks can't compete for an Eastern Conference Finals appearance, and potentially a trip to the NBA Finals.

Potential Rotation:

PG - Jalen Brunson

SG - Mikal Bridges

SF - OG Anunoby

PF - Julius Randle

C - Mitchell Robinson

PG - Miles McBride

SG - Donte DiVincenzo

SF - Josh Hart

PF/C - Precious Achiuwa

Next Up:

C - Jericho Sims

PF - Keita Bates-Diop

PG - Cameron Payne

PG - Tyler Kolek

PF - Marcus Morris Sr.

SG - Landry Shamet

The Knicks will kickoff their regular season opener against the defending champion Boston Celtics on October 22nd.

Written by Anthony Ellis. 2024