2024-25 Knicks Preview

Teacher: "What did you do over the summer, Leon?"

Leon Rose: "I transformed the New York Knicks from playoff contender to championship contender."

Teacher: "Class dismissed."

In what will go down as one of the most active offseasons in Knicks history, Rose didn't just tweak the roster, he remade it. 

To be clear, the consensus last season was that had Julius Randle been healthy, and had OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson not gotten injured in the second round, New York would've beaten the Indiana Pacers and advanced to the Eastern Conference finals to face the Boston Celtics. So, basically, Rose took a long, hard look at that roster and concluded that, even healthy, the Knicks weren't good enough to contend with the Celtics.

Whether you agree with that assessment or not, it's clear Rose wasn't about to take any chances. So he got out his chisel and went to work. The acquisitions of Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Townes over the summer have given Tom Thibodeau the most talented starting five he's ever had as Knicks head coach. And Rose managed to do all this while staying under the second apron.

Just compare this season's starting lineup with the one that could've started had it been healthy:

Brunson
Hart
Bridges
Anunoby
Townes

vs.

Brunson
DiVincenzo
Anunoby
Randle
Robinson

Of course those acquisitions came at a steep price. Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo were integral to the Knicks success last season, especially DiVo, whose last minute three pointer saved the Knicks from what surely would've been a game-two loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Who knows what would've happened in that series without him in the lineup. But once Isaiah Hartenstein signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Rose had no choice but to pull the trigger on Townes, especially with Mitchell Robinson not expected to return until January.

So, now for the sixty-four thousand dollar question. Is this Knicks team better than last year's Knicks team? In a word, yes. Not only are they better, but once this group of players gets fully acclimated to each other, Knicks fans are going to love what they see on the court. The reason I say this is because when you introduce two new players like Bridges and KAT, it'll take some time for them to mesh with Thib's system. I would not be surprised at all if they got off to a 5-5 start. But once they get rolling, this team will be near the top in the Eastern Conference standings.

Indeed, the real issue I see will be the bench where Deuce McBride will handle most of the load as the 6th man. With Precious Achiuwa out for the first 2-4 weeks with a hamstring injury, it'll be up to Thibs to find a suitable replacement. Once Robinson returns, the Knicks will be set at center.

Last year, I picked the Knicks to finish 5th in the East. They wound up finishing 2nd. This year, I'm going to be a bit more bullish. Assuming no major injuries to KAT or OG - always a risk given both players history - 55 wins is not an unreasonable expectation. 

Below are my predictions for each conference, as well as my predictions for which teams will make it to the conference finals and who will win it all.

Eastern Conference:

Celtics

Knicks

Bucks
Sixers
Pacers
Cavaliers
Magic
Heat

Western Conference:

Thunder
Timberwolves
Nuggets
Mavericks
Grizzlies
Suns
Kings
Lakers

Eastern Conference finals:
Knicks over the Celtics 4-3

Western Conference finals:
Thunder over the Timberwolves -4-3

NBA Finals:
Knicks over the Thunder 4-3

For the Mets, the Future Looks Very Bright

They started off 0-5; were eleven games under .500 going into June. And from that point on, the New York Mets had the best record in baseball. For a team that was supposed to be punting on the season, what this group of players did was nothing short of amazing. 

They made the playoffs literally on the last day of the season, then went on to beat the Milwaukee Brewers in the Wild Card round and the Philadelphia Phillies in the divisional round, before finally losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS. 

To come within two wins of going to their first World Series since 2015 sucks, I know, but the pain will go away. As Howie Rose said on the Mets radio broadcast, this team took its fans on an "incredible ride" this season, a ride that was improbable only a year ago. Not only is the glass half filled, the glass is literally under a running faucet. The Flushing faithful may finally be rewarded for their patience.

But before we get to 2025, let's first acknowledge the accomplishments of 2024.

Francisco Lindor: The team MVP delivered. Not only was he the most consistent player on the roster, his two-run homer in the top of the 9th inning in Atlanta was responsible for getting the Mets in the playoffs. His players-only meeting in late May likely saved the season.

Pete Alonso: The Polar Bear had a disappointing regular season, but came through with flying colors in the postseason. He hit two huge three-run homers: the first against the Brewers and the second against the Dodgers. Both times the Mets were facing elimination. No one knows whether Steve Cohen will re-sign him, but even if this was the last hurrah for Pete, at least he can say he went out with a bang.

The starting rotation: Even before Kodak Senga went down, this staff on paper more closely resembled Moe, Larry, Curly and Shemp than a legitimate rotation. And yet it wound up being the club's biggest strength. Sean Manaea and Luis Severino had career years and led the team in wins with 12 and 11 respectively. Jose Quintana and David Peterson - who had his best year as a Met - finished with 10 wins a piece. A healthy Senga could mean an extra 10-15 wins for the team next season. 

Mark Vientos: This burgeoning star, who began the season in Triple A, finished third on the team in home runs with 27, and had a team-leading .327 batting average and 14 RBIs in the playoffs. The Mets finally have their third baseman.

Luisangel Acuna: The center piece in the Max Scherzer trade last year, came up late in the season and took over at short stop when Lindor was out with a back injury. The 22 year-old contributed with 3 HRs and 6 RBIs with an OPS of .966. Just imagine him at 2nd base next year.

Carlos Mendoza: The rookie skipper probably won't win manager of the year, but there's no denying the impact he had in the dugout. His belief in his players when the season was on the brink kept the wheels from falling off. And while his handling of the bullpen at times was puzzling, he has the makings of a great manager. The Mets appear to have found their next Davey Johnson.

And now for 2025:

Center Field: Let's face it, while both Harrison Bader and Tyrone Taylor are excellent fielders, neither are terribly gifted offensively. David Stearns needs to find someone who can both hit and field for this position.

Juan Soto: File this under "Who do I have to kill?" Two years ago, I wrote the Mets needed to move heaven and earth to acquire the young star. Turns out, they didn't have the prospects to land him. Now that he's a free agent after the season, the only thing standing between him patrolling right field in Flushing or in the Bronx will be money. Fortunately for the Mets, Cohen has a boat load of it. If he elects not to re-sign Alonso, he can put the savings towards signing Sota. There's also the possibility that Cohen may want both players. Can you imagine what a lineup of Lindor, Vientos, Soto, Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Alvarez would look like?

The bullpen: Stearns addressed this weak spot for the Mets at the trade deadline, but he will need to do more during the offseason. The Dodgers pretty much had their way with them in the NLCS. Hopefully, Adam Ottavino has played his last game as a Met.

Francisco Alvarez: There's no denying the kid's talent, but he needs to improve his defense as a catcher and become more disciplined at the plate. Perhaps playing Winter ball will help him in both areas. He has the power to hit 25-30 home runs per season. 

JD Martinez and Jesse Winker: They proved to be an effective DH tandem for the Mets, but Martinez struggled over the last couple of months. Both are free agents and could be re-signed for a reasonable price, which will be necessary if Cohen goes after Sota.

To sum up, 2024 was a great year for the Mets. They thrilled their fans and stunned their detractors. 2025 promises to be even better. Gary Cohen drew comparisons to the 1984 team that won 90 games. Personally, I prefer 1985, myself. 

Either way, the future looks very bright for the men in orange and blue.

2024-25 NHL Predictions

If there's one thing every hockey fan can agree on, it's that their favorite team will have a great year. While listening to the NHL Network the other day, an Ottawa Senators fan called in to say that he thought they were going to have a breakout season and wind up with 100 points. I credit the host with not laughing his ass off the air.

That being said, there are basically three types of teams in every professional sports league: those that are at or near the top, those that are on the rise, and those that are on the way down. As always, yours truly will provide his "expert" opinion as to which is which. I apologize for being a bit late here; my wife and I were in Italy for our 30th anniversary.

Normally, I do a separate preview for the Rangers. But this year, I'll combine both into one piece. And like I've done in the past three previews, I'll pick the top three teams in each division, then pick the two wild cards per conference, and then finish with the "close but no cigar" contingent.

Remember, it's all done in fun.

Eastern Conference:

Metropolitan Division: 

New York Rangers: The 2023-24 Presidents' Trophy winner dumped Barclay Goodrow's salary, but other than that this remains ostensibly the same roster as last season, which despite an impatient and frustrated fanbase, is a pretty good thing. Let's face it, the Florida Panthers were the worst opponent they could've gone up against. Any other opponent and we're talking at least a Cup final appearance. But when you look at them objectively - two conference finals in three years - they remain one of the premier teams in the NHL. Alexis Lafreniere is on the verge of stardom, and with Igor Shesterkin in goal, they are always a threat.

New Jersey Devils: GM Tom Fitzgerald finally got himself a goaltender that can stop the puck and he addressed the backline as well, which should help immensely. But the biggest challenge new head coach Sheldon Keefe will have is to get this talented, but still very young, group of players to commit to playing in all three zones. To be honest, Keefe didn't exactly do a bang-up job in Toronto; in five years, the Maple Leafs won just one playoff series. But he is an improvement over Lindy Ruff.

Carolina Hurricanes: The Canes had a rough offseason, losing Jake Guentzel, Brett Pesce and Teuvo Teravainen, and they still don't have an elite goalie. But detractors would be foolish to sleep on any team coached by Rod Brind'Amour. They may not be as good as they were the last three seasons but they will still be a tough team to play against. Dismiss them at your own peril.

Atlantic Division:

Florida Panthers: Losing Brandon Montour to free agency will hurt, but this remains one of the best and deepest cores in the league. They check like no one's business and with Sergei Bobrovsky in net, they should be favorites to repeat as Cup champs. 

Toronto Maple Leafs: Talent was never the problem in Toronto; it was will. Craig Berube should be able to address the latter. He coached a St. Louis Blues team with slightly above average talent to a Stanley Cup in 2019. But can he get this all-star team to buy in? That's the question. 

Boston Bruins: Getting Jeremy Swayman locked up for 8 years means that whatever else happens in Beantown, the Bruins will at least have great goaltending. They're not nearly as deep as the other teams in their division, but when it comes to work ethic, few teams can rival them.

Wild Cards:

Tampa Bay Lightning: The Bolts had an interesting summer. First they traded one of their best defensemen to Utah; then they let Steven Stamkos go to Nashville so that they could sign Jake Guentzel as his replacement. You figure it out. Jon Cooper will have his work cut out for him this season. But so long as they have Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy, they'll never be out of it.

Detroit Red Wings: They barely missed the playoffs last season. This time around, they'll sneak in. In year six of his tenure, GM Steve Yzerman has assembled a good roster that is close to being a contender.

Close, but no cigar:

Washington Capitals: The Caps are counting on Pierre-Luc Dubois to rediscover whatever it was that made him one of the hottest commodities in the NHL. I'm guessing they'll regret trading for him. I wonder how Charlie Lindgren would look in a Rangers uniform.

New York Islanders: Did you hear? Apparently, Anthony Duclair is Mike Bossy incarnate. As a lifetime member of the "I Hate the Islanders" club, I'm really gonna enjoy watching the final stages of the Lou Lamoriello demolition derby.

Pittsburgh Penguins: If ever there was a franchise that hasn't gotten the memo, it's this one. It's going to be a very long season in western Pennsylvania. 

Western Conference:

Central Divison:

Nashville Predators: Barry Trotz won the offseason, big time, signing Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei. As a result, the Preds will be one of the best teams in the NHL. And to think, before Lou Lamoriello fired him, Trotz was the last coach to take the Isles to the conference finals.

Dallas Stars: The Stars will miss Joe Pavelski, but there's plenty of fire power on this talent-laden team to take up the slack. Jake Oettinger is one of the best goaltenders in the league and head coach Peter DeBoer will have his team near the top of the pack again. 

Colorado Avalanche: Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen are three of the best players in the league, but this is a team that believes it can win on talent alone. The last two seasons that formula hasn't been good enough to get them past the second round. One wonders whether they still have the hunger that won them the Cup in 2022.

Pacific Division:

Vegas Golden Knights: Basically, they replaced Jonathan Marchessault with Tomas Hertl. Talent wise, the Knights do not impress on paper. But on the ice, their secret sauce is an aggressive forecheck and a balanced attack. Their defense is big but mobile. They struggled last season which led to them being a wild card team; I doubt they'll make that same mistake again this season.

Edmonton Oilers: Head coach Kris Knoblauch did the impossible last season. He got a very talented group of players unaccustomed to hard work to roll up its sleeves and break a sweat. The result was the first trip by an Oilers team to the Cup finals since 2006, and had it not been for the Panthers, they would've won their first Stanley Cup since 1990. The only question remaining is whether Knoblauch's system has taken root in the locker room or whether last year was a one off.

Vancouver Canucks: For most of last season, Vancouver flirted with the Presidents' Trophy. And if Thatcher Demko hadn't gotten injured in the playoffs they might've gone all the way. Fully healthy, this is as solid a team as there is in the NHL. Led by J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes, they are well coached by Rick Tocchet.

Wild Cards:

Los Angeles Kings: They were fortunate to find someone to take Pierre-Luc Dubois off their hands - call it addition by subtraction. But while they'll make the playoffs, they don't have enough talent to climb into the first tier in their division. 

Winnipeg Jets: In retrospect, it should've come as no surprise how quickly the Jets came apart at the hands of the Avalanche. The fact is, they were paper tigers. They should sneak in this season as a wild card but they don't belong among the elite in the league.

Close but no cigar:

Minnesota Wild: The good news for GM Bill Guerin is that starting in the 2025-26 season, the buyouts for Zach Parise and Ryan Suter will mostly come off the books; the bad news is that won't help him assemble a playoff roster this season.

Utah Hockey Club: This ain't your Arizona Coyotes team anymore. Under new ownership and management they were very active during the offseason. Snatching Mikhail Sergachev from the Lightning was the coup of the decade. Still, while they will be a lot more entertaining, they still a ways to go before they become a playoff team.

Playoffs:

Eastern Conference Finals: Rangers over Maple Leafs 4-3

Western Conference Finals: Golden Knights over Predators: 4-2

Stanley Cup Finals: Rangers over Golden Knights 4-2

Year End Awards:

Presidents' Trophy: Florida Panthers

Art Ross Trophy: Connor McDavid, Oilers

Hart Trophy: Matthew Tkachuk, Panthers

Norris Trophy: Adam Fox, Rangers

Vezina Trophy: Juuso Saros, Predators

Jack Adams Award: Paul Maurice, Panthers 

Conn Smythe Trophy: Igor Shesterkin, Rangers