Knicks Hit a Road Block

When the New York Knicks beat the Utah Jazz at the Garden on New Year's Day, it was their 9th win in a row. They were 24-10 overall - 19-4 in their last 23 - and only a half game behind the Boston Celtics for 2nd place in the Eastern Conference. After a rough start, they were finally "rounding into shape," as I wrote at the end of December.

Well two days later they played the Thunder in Oklahoma City. For most of the game the Knicks were the better team. They led 66-54 at the half, 88-80 after three, and 97-92 with 6 minutes to go in the 4th. They were on the verge of a signature win that would catapult them into legit contender status. Even their most ardent skeptics would have to take them seriously now, right?

And then all of a sudden the wheels came off; the Knicks, who had their best quarter of the season in that first half, missed shot after shot, with their captain Jalen Brunson the prime culprit. OKC outscored New York 25-10 the rest of the way to win the game 117-107.

Though disappointed, the Knicks remained confident. It was just a bad ending to what was an otherwise strong game. They decided to put it behind them. Then came the game against the Bulls in Chicago. Like the game against the Thunder, the Knicks were ahead at the half. Only this time, the collapse didn't occur in the final six minutes; it happened much earlier. The Bulls ran roughshod over the men in orange and blue 41-17 in the 3rd quarter and won the game 139-126.

Words like "low energy" and "fatigue" were used to describe what the problem was. Not to worry, the Knicks reassured us, now that they were home, they would be fully rested and ready to go. Then the Orlando Magic - a team that more closely resembled a MASH unit than a basketball roster - came to town and beat them 103-94. The losing streak was now three. Alarm bells were starting to sound at the Garden.

What was happening? I mean losing to the best team in the Western Conference was understandable; even losing to the Bulls could be chalked up to a team simply running out of gas after a long road trip. But how do you explain losing to a team that was missing four starters from its lineup on your home court? You can't. 

When then Knicks defeated the lowly Toronto Raptors 112-98 two days later, the fears were temporarily allayed. Everyone was eagerly looking forward to the rematch with the Thunder at the Garden. New York had some unfinished business with OKC. This time, they would close the deal. 

But it was the Thunder that closed the deal, and decisively. They raced out to a 31-17 lead after one, and 70-43 lead after the first half, on their way to a 126-101 rout. It was the most humiliating loss of the season for the Knicks, and it was as baffling as it was thorough. 

All of a sudden this team that Kendrick Perkins thinks is the second best in the East looks very pedestrian. While they are still in third place in the conference, there are some major concerns that aren't going away.

Ian Begley shared some of them on Twitter after the game:

With tonight's blowout loss, Knicks fall to 0-5 vs. teams that entered play tonight w/a better overall record than their 25-14 mark. They are 9-11 vs teams that entered play tonight w/record of .500 or better (including 3-1 vs ORL). NYK is 1-6 vs top 8 teams in NBA standings.

While contenders don't always beat other contenders, they typically don't go 1-6 against them. For example, the game before they beat the Knicks, the Thunder lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers 129-122. The Cavs had a one-point lead going into the 4th quarter and actually increased it.

So what's wrong? In a nutshell, the Knicks are struggling on both ends of the court.

On defense, while they still have the league's 8th best points against average at 110.5, there have been huge lapses in their coverage on the court. Way too often, opponents are left wide open to hit three pointers, or convert back-door plays under the basket. Last season's team was relentless on defense. Opponents generally feared playing the Knicks because of the way they made them work for their baskets. This season, opponents rarely break a sweat looking for an open shot.

On offense, while there's no doubt that this starting five is better than last season's, there have been inconsistencies. Over the last 10 games, the Knicks are shooting only 29 percent from downtown. They normally shoot 38 percent from three. When the Knicks are winning, they excel at ball movement. They are 7th in the NBA in assists with 1060. However, when they lose, it's usually because they hold onto the ball too long, making it easy for opponents to double team them. 

The lack of depth on this roster is another cause for concern. Without Deuce McBride the last few games, and with Mitchell Robinson still several weeks away from returning, Tom Thibodeau only had two players he could count on coming off the bench: Cam Payne and Precious Achiuwa. At this point Jericho Sims is practically an afterthought. What this means is that not only are the starters playing more minutes than they should, when they are on the court they have to produce. There's no way the Knicks can win with Mikal Bridges scoring zero points and OG Anunoby scoring only four.

Look, the Knicks are not the only winning team that's struggling right now. The Boston Celtics are just 6-6 in their last 12 games. I'm sure there are concerns in Beantown, but I doubt they're panicking. And neither should the Knicks. There's plenty of time to correct what's wrong. If Leon Rose has proven anything it's that he won't hesitate to make changes if it will improve the roster. With the Knicks up against the second apron he will have to get creative though.

Bottom line, the Knicks aren't quite where they want to be, but they're getting there. Trust the process.

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

The Knicks Bold and Risky Move

Let's be honest: the moment Isaiah Hartenstein departed for Oklahoma City, Leon Rose knew he had to fill that vacancy. Even healthy, Mitchell Robinson is, at best, an adequate center. His excellent defense notwithstanding, nothing about his game would put the fear of God into an opponent. And in a conference that boasts the likes of Joel Embiid, Kristaps Porziņģis and Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Knicks needed to improve their front court if they were going to go from playoff team to title contender.

With Danny Ainge unwilling to trade Lauri Markkanen without getting a king's ransom in return, Rose turned his gaze elsewhere. It's no secret that Karl-Anthony Towns had been on the Knicks radar for some time. Last summer, there were rumors of a straight up swap involving Julius Randle. But then the rumors died down and Rose elected to address other needs on the roster. The additions of OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa definitely improved the team, but the result was still the same: another disappointing second round exit. The acquisition of Mikal Bridges over the summer addressed the backcourt, but there was still a hole at center. Rose's next move had to be bold, and he didn't disappoint.

The final details are still being worked out, but the principal players involved are Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Towns. Minnesota also receives a first round pick via Detroit. Losing DiVencenzo hurts, especially after the way he played against the Philadelphia 76ers in last year's playoffs. But let's face it: once the Knicks got Bridges, DiVo became a bench player. And while Randle has been the heart and soul of this team since his arrival, Towns is the more complete player. With Robinson not expected to return until late December, who would you rather see at the 5: Randle or Towns?

The significance of this move cannot be overstated. Too many times last season, the Knicks were reliant on Brunson to carry the load. He was double and sometimes triple-teamed. Having Bridges at the 2 will distribute some of that load. But having a bonafide scoring center will make this team very hard to defend. Think about it: the Knicks now have three players capable of putting up 25 plus points per game. Over the last two years, Rose has transformed this franchise into a legitimate contender.

Look, are there risks involved in making this trade? Of course there are. As in any team sport, chemistry is essential. Both Randle and DiVincenzo were well respected in the locker room; they will be missed. Towns will have to earn the respect of his teammates, as well as the trust of his coach. The fact that he once played for Tom Thibodeau should help with his transition into the lineup.

Then there's Towns' history of injuries. He missed 20 games last season and only played in 29 the season before. The Knicks are hoping he can return to the form he showed in 2021-22, where he appeared in 74 games, averaged 53 percent from the field, scored 24.6 points per game and was named All NBA 3rd Team.

And, finally, there's the money. With this trade, the Knicks payroll goes up to $188.5 million, just $400k shy of the second apron, which is the absolute max a team can be at under the CBA without incurring penalties. So if anybody gets hurt, Rose will have to get creative to find a replacement.

But all that aside, this a great day for Knicks fans. This is a roster that can go toe to toe with the elite teams in the NBA. They not only can give the reigning champ Boston Celtics a run for their money, as of now, you'd have to consider them the favorites in a best of seven series.

Until Robinson returns, the Knicks starting lineup will probably look like this: Brunson, Bridges, OG, Hart and KAT. If you're wondering why Hart would play the 4, it's because he did so on numerous occasions last season when Randle was out. As is typical with Thibs, it'll be a short bench.

Opening night is October 22 at Boston. Circle it on your calendar.

The Sunshine Snatch

This just in: Authorities in Sunrise, Florida are investigating an alleged heist that took place at Amerant Bank Arena yesterday afternoon. The Florida Panthers, according to law enforcement officials, were robbed of what should've been a win and a 2-1 series lead against the New York Rangers. While they don't yet know the identity of the culprit, they do have a description. He's 6-1, 197 lbs, and was last seen driving on I-95 wearing a goalie mask. Police are encouraging anyone with knowledge of the whereabouts of this individual to contact their local precinct before game four on Tuesday.

Seriously, what happened in game three made the 1978 Lufthansa heist look like a couple kids stealing their buddy's lunch money. Igor Shesterkin - the above culprit, in case you were wondering - has stolen many a game in his relatively brief career as an NHL goaltender. None could compare with what we witnessed yesterday afternoon, especially in the third period, when the Rangers spent most of the twenty minutes trapped in their own end. After tying the score at 4 at the 6:58 mark, the Panthers tried repeatedly to get the go-ahead goal, but were turned away each and every time. Not even a time out called by Peter Laviolette with 11:30 left in regulation was able to stem the onslaught.

It was, without a doubt, the worst period of hockey the Rangers have played in these playoffs, and that includes the third period in game five against the Carolina Hurricanes. Conversely, it was the Panthers best period, certainly in this series. Which makes the result - a 5-4 OT win for the Blueshirts - that much more remarkable.

Consider the following: The Rangers are 0-8 on the power play through three games; their top players - Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider and Adam Fox - have yet to score a goal; and the team as a whole has played maybe four good periods of hockey the entire series. By any objective metric, the Panthers should be up 2-1 instead of down 1-2. And yet, strange as it may seem, the Rangers are two wins away from their first Stanley Cup Final appearance in ten years.

The lack of production from the stars is becoming alarming and is unsustainable. As Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post pointed out, "Either the Rangers are so deep that they might be unbeatable, or their stars are in such a slump that they might be doomed." Yesterday, it looked more like the former as Barclay Goodrow - AKA Clarke Gillies - scored a pair of goals, the latter while New York was shorthanded, and Alex Wennberg - one goal in 19 regular-season games as a Ranger and none in the playoffs - netted the game winner in OT.

But if New York wants to avoid the latter, it must get its power play going, and soon. As I wrote in my last piece, "there is no pathway to a Stanley Cup for the Rangers that doesn't include a productive power play." The Panthers, with one power play goal in game two and two in game three, are winning the special teams battle. Their relentless forechecking is starting to take its toll. Eventually, it will wear the Rangers down. It's only a matter of time. Resiliency can only take you so far in the postseason. Just ask the New York Knicks.

Look, the Panthers are the bigger team; that's pretty obvious. The Rangers, when they get their transition game going, are the faster one. We've seen examples of that speed in this series. We need to see more, a lot more.

Two years ago, the Rangers held a 2-1 lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals before finally running out of gas. This year's team didn't have to play as many games to get to this point. That could prove to be the difference between winning the Cup or falling short.

We'll know soon enough if it is.

Leon Rose Crushes It

Two years ago, New York Rangers President and GM Chris Drury added four players at the trade deadline that played an integral role in helping them advance to the Eastern Conference finals. It was, by far, the most aggressive trade deadline the organization had had since 1994, when then GM Neil Smith went for it all and imported Stephane Matteau, Brian Noonan, Glenn Anderson and Craig MacTavish to propel the team to its first Stanley Cup championship since 1940.

Since he was named President of the New York Knicks in March of 2020, Leon Rose has methodically transformed one of the most dysfunctional franchises in the NBA into a bonafide contender. Below is list of some of the moves he's made since taking over the reigns.

2020: Hires Tom Thibodeau as head coach. Knicks go 41-31, qualifying for the postseason for the first time since 2013.

2022: Makes three trades at the NBA Draft, dealing the rights to his own draft picks, moving out a bad contract, accumulating over $16 million in cap space and acquiring 11 first-round picks. Signs Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $104 million contract later that summer.

2023: Acquires Josh Hart from the Portland Trail Blazers at the trade deadline for Cam Reddish and a first-round pick. Both Brunson and Hart proved to be catalysts for a Knicks team that beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs. Signs Donte DiVincenzo to a four-year, $50 million contract over the summer. Trades R.J. Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a second-round pick to the Toronto Raptors for OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn December 30.

2024: Acquires Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks from the Detroit Pistons at the trade deadline for Flynn, Quintin Grimes, Evan Fournier, Ryan Arcidiacono and two second-round picks. The remarkable thing about this trade, and the one with Toronto, is that Rose didn't have give up a single first-round pick, meaning he still has all eleven of his first-rounders in case he wants to pull off a blockbuster trade in the summer. No other team in the league has this kind of draft capital at its disposal.

Just think about it: when healthy - Mitchell Robinson (ankle), Julius Randle (shoulder) and Anunoby (elbow) are currently injured and are not expected back until sometime in March - the Knicks roster will look like this:

Starters:

PG: Jalen Brunson

SG: Donte Divincenzo

SF: OG Anunoby

PF: Julius Randle

C:   Mitchell Robinson

Bench:

PG: Alec Burks

SG: Josh Hart

SF: Bojan Bogdanovic

PF: Precious Achiuwa

C:   Isaiah Hartenstein

F:   Jericho Sims

G:  Deuce McBride

On paper, this is arguably the deepest team in the NBA, and that includes the Boston Celtics. How many teams do you suppose can boast they have a 20 point scorer coming off their bench? They are a legitimate threat to go to the Eastern Conference finals, perhaps even the NBA finals. And it's all due to the diligence of a man who, thankfully, stuck to his guns and now stands to be rewarded for his patience.

It's been a very long time since the words competence and contender were associated with the New York Knicks. Usually, laughingstock and disappointment are the words most associated with them. Even now, I'm cautiously optimistic. What can I say? It's the cynic in me.

1973 was the last time this fanbase had something to celebrate. That was 51 years ago.

51 years is long enough!

NHL Power Rankings (Pre-Postseason)

I'm not much of a fan of power rankings during the season. Seriously, unless you're a fan, who cares how a team is doing in December or January? After all, it's not how you start but how you finish, right? So with the playoffs a week away, I thought I'd entertain you with my first, and probably last, NHL power rankings (Pre-Postseason). If you take a gander at how my pre-season predictions went - that is after you get done chuckling - you'll know why I don't particularly like doing these.

One difference between my power rankings and others is that I break mine down by conference. Until the NHL goes to a 1-16 playoff format, it doesn't make sense to do a league-wide power ranking. Yes, I know the Eastern conference is better than the Western conference. So what? You play the hand you're dealt.

While each conference has eight teams that make the playoffs, realistically only six have a shot at winning the Stanley Cup. Therefore, I'll confine my analysis to those teams starting with the East.

Eastern Conference:

1. Boston Bruins: The no brainer of the decade, the Bruins are on track to have the best regular season since the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens. They could also be the first President's trophy winner since the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks to win the Cup. Apart from some age at center - Pierre Bergeron and David Krejci are 37 and 36 respectively - there are no weaknesses. They have depth at forward and on defense, and they have the best goaltending tandem in the league. If they don't get extended in an early round, they could be unstoppable.

2. New York Rangers: They seem to be hitting their stride at just the right moment. They have arguably the top three lines in the NHL thanks to the wheeling and dealing of Chris Drury. Since the beginning of March, Igor Shesterkin has a save percentage of over .930, and with the return of Ryan Lindgren, they're solid on the backline. The only question is whether this incredibly talented group is prepared to play a full 60 minutes of hockey over four rounds. If the answer is yes, they could go all the way.

3. Tampa Bay Lightning: They're not as deep as the team that won back to back Cups, but any core that has Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos is not to be trifled with. Despite getting lit up by the Rangers at the Garden, Andrei Vasilevskiy is still one of the best money goaltenders in the NHL. They do have a losing road record, which given that they likely won't have home ice in any of their matchups, could dampen their prospects.

4. Toronto Maple Leafs: Ryan O'Reilly should be back in time for the start of the postseason, and that is welcomed news for an organization that hasn't won a playoff round since 2004, or a Stanley Cup since 1967. Fortunately for the Leafs, Ilya Samsonov has taken over the goaltending duties from Matt Murray, which gives them at least a fighting chance against the Lightning.

5. New Jersey Devils: Apart from the Edmonton Oilers and Colorado Avalanche, no team in the NHL is faster on the puck than the Devils. Tom Fitzgerald has done a masterful job building a team that is young and explosive. Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier are the best one-two punch at center in the conference. The only potential hiccup is between the pipes. Vitek Vanecek is no one's idea of an elite goalie.

6. Carolina Hurricanes: Rod Brind'Amour may be one of the best coaches in the NHL, but even he can't overcome the loss of Max Pacioretty and Andrei Svechnikov. And even at full strength, their goaltending is above average at best. They should survive one round, but they don't match up well against either the Rangers or Devils. Don Waddell needed to do more at the trade deadline. He didn't. 

Western Conference:

1. Colorado Avalanche: Losing Nazem Kadri to free agency hurts them at center. However, they are still a threat to repeat as champs, but only if Gabriel Landeskog returns by the playoffs. Alexandar Georgiev is an upgrade from Darcy Kemper in goal.

2. Edmonton Oilers: Stuart Skinner gives the Oilers something they haven't had in a long time: reliable goaltending. And deadline acquisition Mattias Ekholm gives them a physical presence on the backline. Their top six is all world and speaks for itself.

3. Minnesota Wild: It's a mystery how Bill Guerin hasn't won GM of the year. For the second straight season his team is among the best in the conference, despite carrying $12 million in dead cap, courtesy of his predecessor, Chuck Fletcher. Apparently the Flyers aren't the only organization Fletcher screwed over. The man should be permanently barred from the league.

4. Dallas Stars: If Jake Oettinger plays like he did last postseason against the Calgary Flames when he stood on his head, the Stars will be a threat to go to the finals. This is a solid team with a vastly improved offense and a still very stingy defense.

5. Vegas Golden Knights: Yours truly didn't have them as a playoff team this season. So much for my prowess as a talent evaluator. Given that they lost Mark Stone for the season and have had to use four goalies, it's nothing short of amazing they're doing this well. Bruce Cassidy has done a helluva job behind the bench.

6. Los Angeles Kings: Adding Kevin Fiala makes them a more explosive offense. Unfortunately, their defense has regressed from last season's. Among playoff teams in the West, only the Oilers have given up more goals.

Next week, I'll make my playoff predictions, once we know what the matchups are.