It’s that time of year! NBA training camp began last week while the preseason officially tipped off on Friday. We are less than three weeks away from the 2024-25 NBA season, expected to tip off on Oct. 22. Up until that date, we will be previewing all 30 NBA Teams! Today, we dive into the New York Knicks! Let’s jump into it!
What happened last year?
The Knicks finished 50-32 last year, their first time finishing with 50 wins since they won 54 in 2012-13 with Carmelo Anthony , Tyson Chandler and J.R. Smith . New York swung a late-December blockbuster for OG Anunoby before trading for Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks ahead of the trade deadline. They were one of the league’s best teams post-deadline, though postseason injuries to Jalen Brunson , Anunoby and Josh Hart led to their demise. After taking a 2-0 series lead, the No. 2 Knicks dropped four of their final five games to the young-and-hungry Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semis, preventing their anticipated meet with rival Boston in the ECF.
Offseason Recap:
The Knicks had a very active offseason. They re-signed Brunson and Anunoby while making two of the biggest trades this offseason–one before free agency started, and the other right before the start of training camp. The Knicks traded five first-round picks–including four unprotected–plus one unprotected pick swap plus Bogdanovic (and others) to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for forward Mikal Bridges . It got the Nova Knicks back together, but we unfortunately didn’t get to see them all play together. In late September, New York traded Julius Randle , Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns . The Knicks were also active in the 2024 NBA Draft, selecting four players, headlined by guard Tyler Kolek No. 35 overall. We know how Reggie Miller feels, but I don’t think the Knicks had a bad offseason, given the circumstances.
Projected Starting 5:
Jalen Brunson, G – Brunson made his first All-Star and All-NBA teams last year, averaging 28.7 points and 6.7 assists on 59.2 percent true shooting. He’s the franchise player who signed an extension early for the greater good of the team–a rarity in today’s NBA.
Josh Hart, F – You could ask Hart to play all 48 minutes and he’d somehow play 49 at maximum effort. The do-it-all forward logged 21 double-doubles and six triple-doubles in his first full season in New York.
Mikal Bridges, F – Bridges, quite literally, has not missed a single game over his seven-year career, playing all 474. He showed more glimpses as a primary shot creator with Brooklyn, even though he won’t necessarily be tasked with that responsibility on the other side of the Brooklyn Bridge.
OG Anunoby, F – Anunoby, who they acquired ahead of the trade deadline from Toronto, has had a difficult time staying healthy. But when he is on the floor, he’s one of the best two-way wings in the game–as is Bridges. The Knicks were 26-6 with a plus-16.3 NET Rating in games that Anunoby played.
Karl-Anthony Towns, C – Towns adds a floor spacing pop-threat that New York hasn’t had in the Brunson era, opening up the floor for everyone else, including himself. I will be interested to see how much of a leash Tom Thibodeau will have with him on the defensive end, however, considering he’s a slow-footed big nowhere near where Mitchell Robinson and, frankly, Isaiah Hartenstein were defensively anchoring the paint.
Notable Reserves:
Miles McBride , G – McBride broke out last season, averaging 8.3 points on 45.2/41.0/86.0 shooting splits this season. With a thinner guard rotation, expect more responsibility to be placed on the 6-foot-2 guard’s shoulders entering his age-24 season.
Precious Achiuwa , F/C – Achiuwa will be one of the team’s most important pieces off the bench. He was third in New York’s big rotation last year, but got ample opportunity after getting traded from Toronto due to Robinson’s injuries. He’ll be placed in a similar situation entering 2024-25.
Tyler Kolek, G – I expect veteran guard Cam Payne to get most of the run earlier in the season, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Kolek be apart of the team’s rotation by season’s end. He’s a remarkably savvy point guard who could raise the floor of New York’s bench unit in an instant.
The Knicks may have swapped out Randle for Towns, but there’s still a gaping hole at center with Robinson’s injury and Hartenstein’s departure. Achiuwa, 25, averaged 7.6 points and 6.6 rebounds in 21.9 minutes across 49 games with New York. He was a serviceable big when he was given minutes, though more will be placed on his shoulders this year, and if he can’t function with Towns off the court, it’s going to be bad news bears unless Thibs opts to go with Anunoby at center.
Season Projection:
The Knicks are clearly the second-best team in the East when they’re healthy. If that stays true, they should finish with upwards of 55 wins.
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