The Randle Injury - One Year Later

It was Saturday, January 27, 2024, and the New York Knicks were in the process of routing the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden for their 6th win in a row. Julius Randle was driving to the basket when he was fouled by Jamie Jaquez with 4:27 left in the fourth quarter. The power forward tumbled to the floor, grabbing his right shoulder; the first sign that something was very wrong. You could've heard a pin drop in the building as his teammates helped him up and he raced to the locker room, hunched over in obvious pain. 

The preliminary reports said that Randle had suffered a dislocated right shoulder and that he would be out approximately 2-3 weeks. As it turned out, 2-3 weeks was extremely optimistic. Randle wound up missing the rest of the season, including the playoffs. He would eventually undergo surgery. 

The Knicks, even without Randle, finished with a record of 50-32, good for second place in the Eastern Conference. But depleted by injuries to other players, including O.G. Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson, they simply ran out of gas against the Indiana Pacers in the second round, and lost the series in seven games, leaving their fans to wonder what might've been.

Imagine for a moment that Tom Thibodeau had pulled Randle out of the game with 5:29 left and the score 112-96? The Heat, for all intents and purposes, looked cooked that night - pardon the pun. Of all the criticisms Thibs has faced over the years, the one that has stuck is that he tends to ride his starters like a bronco bull.

Imagine a season in which Randle is healthy. Instead of winning 50 games, the Knicks win 55, maybe more. They go into the playoffs with a starting rotation of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Anunoby, Randle and Isaiah Hartenstein, with Donte DiVincenzo, Precious Achiuwa, Deuce McBride, Bojan Bogdanović and Robinson coming off the bench. They most certainly would've beaten the Pacers, and they likely would've extended the Boston Celtics to a seventh game before losing.

Of course the real question is whether, given that "what if" scenario, Leon Rose would've pulled the trigger on the KAT deal? There's no doubt that since his arrival from the Minnesota Timberwolves, Karl-Anthony Towns has been a tremendous addition to this lineup. And with Hartenstein signing with the Oklahoma City Thunder over the summer, he has given the Knicks something they haven't had since the days of Patrick Ewing. A center that can score AND rebound.

Maybe it wouldn't have made any difference at all. Maybe once Hartenstein bolted, the die was already cast. It's no secret that the Knicks had been pursuing Towns for well over a year. And with Robinson's return date still up in the air, I seriously doubt Rose would have entrusted the center position to a rotation of Randle, Achiuwa and Jericho Sims.

But given the lack of production from the bench, it's fair to say that a roster that included DiVincenzo would've been deeper, even if it was weaker overall, if that makes any sense. And let's be honest, some of the losses the Knicks have suffered this season were a direct result of a non-productive bench and an overworked starting rotation. This is unsustainable. Either Thibs starts trusting his bench more, or Rose has to make a trade to strengthen it. 

With the Knicks up against the second apron, it's going to have to be the former. Fortunately, Thibs appears to have gotten the memo - finally. Against the Memphis Grizzlies, he went to his bench early and often. The result was a season-high 52 points from the bench. Of course, the Knicks blew out the Grizzlies, but the point is the starters didn't have to play 38 - 40 minutes, like they've been doing most games. Brunson actually sat out the entire fourth quarter.

The goal for the Knicks in the second half of the season should be to have the starters average no more than 34 minutes per game. To do that, the bench has to produce when they're on the court. The more they contribute, the more Thibs will trust them. But the reverse is also true: the more Thibs trusts his bench, the more productive they will likely be. It cuts both ways.

For now, though, the Knicks are 31-16, pending the outcome of tonight's game against the Denver Nuggets. That's good for 5th best in the NBA, even with a low-scoring bench. When / if Robinson comes back, they will be even better and deeper. 

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.

Knicks Running on Fumes in Indiana

The final outcome in game four of Eastern Conference semifinals was never in doubt. The Indiana Pacers routed the New York Knicks 121-89. They led by 20 after one, 28 at the half, 38 after three, and 42 early in the 4th quarter. The Knicks led once in this game: 2-0 in the opening minute. Here's all you needed to know about how bad things went for the Knicks: Alec Burks was their leading scorer at halftime with 11 points. The Nova triplets? They finished a combined 1-13 from downtown.

The series is now tied at two, with game five at the Garden Tuesday night. Just based on what we saw on Sunday, it could well be the last home game for the Knicks. Seriously, you'd have to be the world's most incurable optimist to believe this team will be able to summon the energy needed to extend this series to seven games, much less advance to the conference finals. Let's face it: they looked gassed out there against a healthier and much deeper Indiana team.

You could see this series starting to slip away in the 4th quarter of game three. The Knicks led 90-85 after the 3rd quarter, and 98-89 with 9:46 to go in the 4th. They would make only two more jumps shots the rest of the way, getting outscored 26-16 in the quarter and losing 111-106. For only the second time in these playoffs, the Knicks failed to close out a game in which they led in the 4th quarter. Think about that. A team that, sans game five of the Sixers series, has owned the 4th quarter, got owned.

And now this incredibly resilient team, which has lost half its roster and more closely resembles a walking MASH unit, has to pull a proverbial rabbit out of the hat in order to keep their postseason dreams alive. And just to be clear, if the Knicks lose game five, there will be no game seven. The Pacers will close it out in six.

This wasn't the way it was drawn up. After the trade with Toronto, the Knicks had a front court of Isaiah Hartenstein, Julius Randle and OG Anunoby, a back court of Jalen Brunson and Donte DiVencenzo, and a bench that included Josh Hart, Precious Achiuwa and Deuce McBride. Then Randle went down, followed by Anunoby. Leon Rose added two more pieces to the puzzle in Burks and Bojan Bogdanovic with the hope that Randle, Anunoby and maybe even Mitchell Robinson would return in time for the playoffs. On paper, this had the makings of a genuine championship contender; at the very least a conference finalist.

But Randle never did come back; and while Anunoby did, his injury in game two of the Pacers series, coupled with the injuries to Robinson and Bogdanovic in the Sixers series, has all but crippled this team. Coach Tom Thibodeau, facing a depleted bench, has been forced to play his starters 45 plus minutes per game. The wear and tear is finally taking its toll. All the perspiration in the world can't overcome exhaustion; and right now the Knicks look exhausted. To quote a passage out of the Bible, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

The good news? Regardless of what happens in this series, the future of this franchise looks very promising. Randle will be back, as will Anunoby and Robinson. Rose still has all his first round draft picks that he can use to land a proven scorer who can be the third option - perhaps even the second option - to Brunson and Randle. That this team managed to win 50 games this season mostly on spit and polish is a testament to its work ethic. Fully healthy, they could easily win 55 to 60 games next season.

But for now they still have to contend with the Pacers for at least two more games. The Garden faithful will be in their corner Tuesday night, as they have pretty much all season. 

Will it be enough? We shall see.

28.9 Seconds

There's no way to sugar coat what happened at Madison Square Garden last night. The New York Knicks were 28.9 seconds away from advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals. Deuce McBride had just nailed a 14 foot jump shot to put them ahead 96-90. The crowd was going wild. Yours truly was pumping his fists in the air for joy.

And then...

Then the roof caved in. The most disciplined team in the NBA unravelled like cheap sackcloth. They made error after error and wound up losing to the Philadelphia 76ers in overtime.

Let's go through each of them.

One: After the Sixers called their final time out, Tyrese Maxey took the inbounds pass and was fouled by Mitchell Robinson while making a three point shot. Maxey made the free throw to cut the Knicks lead to two. Every basketball player from high school on knows that when you're up by six with under a minute to go you don't foul under any circumstances. Robinson had no business being anywhere near Maxey. He should've been under the basket to secure the rebound in case Maxey missed. Terrible lack of judgement.

Two: After the Knicks inbounded the ball, Josh Hart was fouled with 15.1 seconds left. All he had to do was make both free throws and the Knicks would've been up by four. Instead he missed one, thus giving the Sixers life.

Three: With the Knicks up by three and the Sixers out of timeouts, Maxey dribbled the ball across half court and drilled a 34-foot three pointer to tie the score at 96. Mike Breen, who called the game on MSG Network, said the Knicks could not let Maxey take that shot. But that's exactly what they did. Instead of fouling him when he was in the backcourt and letting him make two free throws, they gave Maxey a chance to tie the game, which he did. Unconscionable.

Four: With 8.1 seconds left in the 4th quarter, the Knicks elected not to call their last time out to set up a play. Instead, Jalen Brunson took the inbounds and dribbled the ball up court where he took a wild shot that was blocked out of bounds with no time left on the clock. 

We all know what happened in the overtime; that's not the point. The point is the game should never have gone to overtime in the first place. 

And, no, this collapse was not, as Chris "Mad Dog" Russo said on ESPN's First Take, the same as what happened to the Sixers in game two. In that game, after Brunson made his three pointer to pull the Knicks to within two, there was a sequence of events that happened in quick succession, beginning with a bad inbounds pass by Kyle Lowry and a loose-ball scramble that led to two three-pointer attempts by Donte DiVincenzo; the latter finally going in. The whole sequence took 14 seconds. Before the Sixers knew what hit them, they went from leading by five to trailing by one.

The Knicks had numerous opportunities to recalibrate, gather themselves and prevent this collapse. Their poor judgment and lack of execution was what did them in. And now they have to go to Philly to play a game six instead of resting up and preparing for the winner of the Milwaukee / Indiana series. And don't assume they win that game. You think the Sixers are going to lose two out of three in their building? If I were a betting man, I'd say we're heading back to the Garden for a game seven.

And here's the thing: even if the Knicks manage to advance, what this series has revealed is that, apart from Brunson - who scored 40 in a losing effort - this is an offensively challenged team. Face it: once Julius Randle went down with that shoulder injury, the Knicks no longer had a genuine second option to go to. DiVencenzo has been inconsistent pretty much all season; with the exception of game two where he put up 19 points, he's been virtually invisible this entire series. And while Hart has contributed on the boards, his offense sometimes has a nasty habit of disappearing as well. Think about it: were it not for the 42 points the bench scored in game one, New York would be trailing 3-2 in this series instead of leading 3-2.

In retrospect, it was a mistake for Leon Rose not to go after someone like Dejounte Murray of the Atlanta Hawks at the trade deadline. Yes, it probably would've cost him multiple first round picks, but it would've been worth it. Unlike DiVencenzo, who, let's be honest, is more of a sixth man than a starter, Murray is a  bonafide star who averages 22.5 points per game. "Can you imagine a backcourt of Brunson and Murray?" I wrote back in January.

Regardless of how this series ends up, Rose must do everything in his power to land a scorer during the offseason. For the Knicks to be legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference, they must have multiple options on the court. Right now they have only one.

Knicks Playoff Preview (Round One)

Face it: when Julius Randle went down with an injury against the Miami Heat at the Garden on January 27 - followed a couple of games later by OG Anunoby - things didn't look too good for the New York Knicks. After an incredible January in which they went 14-2, the Knicks came crashing back down to Earth in February, going 4-8. On February 29, their record stood at 35-25. They were in danger of falling out of the top six in the Eastern Conference. A once promising season was slipping away.

But this Knicks team refused to die. They went 9-5 in March without Randle and without OG for all but two games. Then with a healthy OG back in the lineup in April, they won the last five games of the regular season to finish with their first 50 win season since 2013. They not only avoided the Play-In round, they clinched the number two seed in the Eastern Conference. 

Tell me you saw that coming. I sure as shit didn't.

And now these very same Knicks, the ones nobody gave an ice cube's chance in hell of being in this position, get to make believers out of none other than the Philadelphia 76ers, who beat the Heat in the Play-In to clinch the 7th seed. The two teams begin a best of seven series at the Garden Saturday night.

The are three things the Knicks have to do in order to move on to the next round:

1. Contain Joel Embiid. Against the Heat, Embiid looked slow. It was clear he was still favoring his surgically repaired knee. The Knicks need to make him work for every shot and rebound he gets. Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein need to stay on him like white on rice. If they don't; if Embiid is allowed to roam at will, this will be a very short series the other way. Even at 80 percent, he's still one of the best players in the league.

2. Jalen Brunson must score. The Sixers will double team Brunson every time he touches the ball just like the Lakers did in the 4th quarter of that February game at the Garden. It will be up to his teammates to make sure they set enough screens to free him up. Like Embiid, Brunson is capable of dominating a series. He needs to score at least 30 points per game for the Knicks to have a shot.

3. The bench needs to contribute. And by contribute, I mean more than a measly 10 points per game. Between Bojan Bogdanovic, Precious Achiuwa, Robinson and Deuce McBride, the bench has to score at least 20 points per game. They also have to play more than a few minutes. Tom Thibodeau can't continue to ride Brunson and Josh Hart to the tune of 40 plus minutes per game. Philly will wipe the court with them if that happens.

I like the Knicks chances here. They allowed the second fewest points per game during the regular season at 108.2. And they are 20-3 in games in which Anunoby has played. It won't be easy. Losing Randle for the season will eventually catch up with them, but not in this series. Knicks in six.

Here's how I expect the rest of the first round matchups to go.

Eastern Conference:

Boston over Miami in five: Without Jimmy Butler, the Heat don't have a chance. What a shame.

Indiana over Milwaukee in six: Even with Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks would've had a tough time time dealing with the Pacers transition game. If he misses more than two games, this could be a sweep.

Orlando over Cleveland in six: Sorry, but I just don't get all the hoopla over the Cavs. The Knicks took them out in five last year with a hobbled Randle. If anything, I'm being generous by giving them two wins.

Western Conference:

Oklahoma City over New Orleans in six: Losing Zion Williamson in the Play-In pretty much killed any chance the Pelicans had of winning this series.

Denver over L.A. Lakers in seven: Maybe it's the sentimentalist in me but I think LeBron will do his best to drag the Lakers across the finish line. He'll come up short.

Minnesota over Phoenix in five: The only team that allowed fewer points per game than the Knicks were the Timberwolves. This was not the matchup the Suns were hoping for.

Dallas over L.A. Clippers in six: Never trust a team that has James Harden on it.

If the Knicks move on, I'll preview the second round.

Nova Prime

On the same night the New York Knicks found out that Julius Randle's season was officially over, they could've rolled over and phoned it in. And for a while there against the Sacramento Kings, it looked as if they were about to do just that. They trailed the Kings 39-20 early in the second quarter at the Garden. Losers of three straight, they were well on their way to their fourth.

But then this incredibly resilient, but undermanned, group of athletes found an inner resolve and refused to lose. They outscored the Kings 100-70 the rest of the way to improve their record to 45-31. The victory allowed them to keep pace with the Orlando Magic, who had beaten the New Orleans Pelicans the night before.

Leading the way for the Blue and Orange was the awesome threesome from Villanova: Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart. The three combined for 87 of New York's 120 points. But though Brunson led all scorers with 35 points, it was Hart's 31 that proved the most consequential. Hart has been coach Tom Thibodeau's Swiss army knife all season long. His versatility has allowed Thibs to play him at either the 2, 3 or 4. Not noted for his scoring prowess, last night's production was sorely needed and much appreciated by his teammates.

Indeed, while Brunson continues to prove his detractors wrong, amid the chants of "MVP," it's the production of DiVincenzo and Hart that have allowed this Knicks team to flirt with second place in the Eastern Conference, even after Randle and OG Anunoby went down at the end of January. And any hope they have of winning a round or two in the postseason will hinge on how well these three incredibly talented players perform. 

Thibodeau's decision to ostensibly go with four guards in his starting lineup the last few games is a tacit admission by him that he realizes the Knicks don't have an ice cube's chance in hell with a more conventional starting lineup. Let's face it: Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks have both been busts since their arrival from Detroit. The only bright spot is that at least Leon Rose didn't part with any of his first round picks to land them. But their failure to produce offense has forced Thibs to run his guards ragged. The other night in Miami, they looked gassed. How much longer he can afford to do this remains to be seen.

The good news for the Knicks is that of their remaining six games, three are against the Chicago Bulls and one is against the Brooklyn Nets. A record of 49-33 is certainly doable and just might be enough to secure the 4th seed in the East, which would give them the home court against the Magic. Who knows, if Anunoby makes it back in time for the playoffs, a deep run could still be in the offing.

It's nice to dream, isn't it?

The Sad Reality About the Knicks

This season, the New York Knicks are second in the NBA with a 123.1 offensive rating when Jalen Brunson is on the court. Conversely, they are 30th in the league with a 103.4 offensive rating when he is on the bench.

The numbers are as undeniable as they are alarming. When Brunson is on the court, the Knicks are one of the best teams in the NBA; when he isn't, they're one of the worst. Last night's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Garden illustrated that point. The Knicks were leading the Thunder by 10  after three. Coach Tom Thibodeau, for some reason, elected to keep Brunson on the bench to start the 4th quarter and OKC rolled off seven straight points.

By the time Brunson re-entered the game with 7:42 left, all the momentum the Knicks had built up was gone. And while it's true that there should've been a foul on the Brunson layup that gave New York a 112-111 lead with 4.1 seconds left, the real culprit was a Knicks bench that has been putrid ever since the trade deadline. 

Last night, the Thunder bench outscored the Knicks bench 36-18. The other night in San Antonio, the Spurs bench outscored the Knicks bench 38-19. The Spurs, it should be noted, are one of the worst teams in the NBA. Yet, had it not been for Brunson's 61 point performance, they would've blown out the Knicks. Think about that: a 17 win team beating a 44 win team.

There's no getting around it: without Julius Randle, OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson, the Knicks don't have the depth necessary to compete with the top teams in the league, unless Brunson plays all 48 minutes. Yes, they can handle most of the basement dwellers, but that's about it. For the better part of the last eight weeks, ever since Randle and Anunoby went down, Thibodeau has been primarily relying on six players to save the season. It was refreshing to see the return of Anunoby and Robinson, if only for a couple of games, but both players suffered setbacks and are now listed as day to day.

Things were going so well only a couple of months ago. The Knicks were the hottest team in the league. They went 14-2 in January. The trade that brought Aununoby and Precious Achiuwa from Toronto for RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley looked like the steal of the decade. There was talk of a possible deep run in the playoffs.

But then Randle went down with a shoulder separation against the Heat on January 27, followed a game later by Anunuoby with what was described initially as soreness of the right elbow. Not to worry, we were told. Randle likely wouldn't need surgery, and even though Aununoby eventually did require surgery to remove bone chips, the procedure was not considered season ending. Both players were expected back in time for the playoffs, along with Robinson.

But now that's all up in the air. Randle still has not been cleared for contact in practice, and since Anunoby suffered a setback with his elbow, he too hasn't had contact in practice. There is no timetable for either to return. And while Robinson's ankle soreness continues to be monitored, no one knows when or if he'll return.

Josh Hart may have summed up the Knicks situation best when he said during a post-game interview, "I'm looking at it like this is the team we're going to have. I think that's how we have to approach it, like those guys aren't coming back. And obviously we'll be pleasantly surprised if they come back."

So, pending a miracle, the starting rotation for the remainder of the season will be as follows: Isaiah Hartenstein, Hart, Deuce McBride, Brunson and Donte DiVincenzo; the bench will be Achiuwa, Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks, with an odd appearance or two of Jericho Sims. You can kiss the Eastern Conference finals goodbye. With this lineup, the Knicks would be lucky to get out of the first round.

The good news is that Leon Rose still has all his first round draft picks that he can use as trade bait over the summer. With Brunson and a healthy Randle and Anunoby - assuming they sign him - the Knicks will be a legit contender next season.

But it still sucks knowing what could've been.

A Bridges Too Far?

While we still don't know the full extent of Julius Randle's right shoulder injury, it does appear as if the New York Knicks may have dodged a bullet. Preliminary test results do not show a tear, which would require season-ending surgery for the all-star forward. That means Randle will likely miss several weeks instead of months.

And while Knicks fans were breathing a collective sigh of relief over the encouraging news, Randle's teammates were taking care of business in Charlotte, beating the Hornets 113-92. The Knicks are now 13-2 in the month of January. The trade that sent RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a second round pick to the Toronto Raptors for OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn has transformed the Knicks into a force to be reckoned with. Not only have they feasted on teams with losing records - 20-0 after last night's win - they have beaten the likes of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia 76ers, last season's NBA champion Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat. It should be noted that the Denver win was a blowout.

In my last piece, I wrote that the Knicks, as good as they are, still need a third option; that one player that could catapult them from competitor status to contender status. Initially, I thought Dejounte Murray might be that player. The Atlanta Hawk would give New York its most talented backcourt since 1972-73, the last year they won a championship. However, it appears as though Leon Rose doesn't want to give up the assets needed to land the shooting guard.

Names like Malcolm Brogdon and Bruce Brown have been tossed around as possible trade targets. Both players would bolster a bench that had been depleted in the Toronto deal, but neither would move the needle much. With the trade deadline only a few days away, and Rose sitting on eleven first round draft picks, seven of which belong to him, it's beginning to look more and more like if a trade does happen it will take place in the offseason.

Then, as if on cue, a proposed trade popped up on social media that was so wild I had to do a double take when I saw it. The Brooklyn Nets send Mikal Bridges to the Knicks for Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier and five first round draft picks.

Let's put aside for the moment the total number of draft picks going to the Nets, which is considerable, given that Rose was reluctant to give up two number ones to Atlanta for Murray. And let's also put aside the fact that Bridges was part of that Villanova Wildcats team that won the NCAA championship in 2018 along with Jalen Brunson and Donte DiVincenzo, both of whom are Knicks. The fact is Bridges has been a small forward most of his NBA career, except for a small stint last season after the Nets acquired him in the Kevin Durant trade. There's no telling how he would handle the move back to guard. 

Then there's DiVencenzo. He was just starting to come into his own as a starter. The arrival of Bridges would relegate him to the bench. How would that affect him? Further, how would that affect the team as a whole? A team that is about as tight and cohesive as any Knicks team I've seen since the Pat Riley days. We've already seen how adding a star onto a roster can have unintended consequences. The Heat are 0-4 since they traded for Terry Rozier.

Look, there's no denying the talent Bridges would bring to the Knicks. And with Randle returning sometime in March, they could be the prohibitive favorites to win the Eastern Conference, perhaps the whole enchilada. One thing is certain: with Tom Thibodeau coaching them, regardless of what happens at the deadline, this will be one tough team to play against in the postseason.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves here. Like most proposed trades, they tend to fizzle out within a day or two. I seriously doubt Rose will part with that many first round picks, even for someone as gifted as Bridges. But it's always nice to dream, especially for a fanbase that's gotten used to having nightmares the better part of the last two decades.

Knicks Still Need a Third Option

After nine games, the verdict is in: The trade with the Toronto Raptors that brought OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks is an unqualified success. Not only have they've gone 7-2 over that stretch, they've gone from being one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA to one of the best. If there's such a thing as a secret sauce, Anunoby would be it.

And yet as good as this Knicks team has played, you can tell there's still something missing. Yes, their work ethic is beyond reproach. And, yes, to paraphrase Mr. T., "I pity the team that has to play them in the postseason." As things stand now, they would give the Philadelphia 76ers a run for their money. Hell, they might even beat them. But against the Milwaukee Bucks or the Boston Celtics, it would be game, set and match. Anybody that doubts that hasn't seen enough basketball games.

That's because for all their grit, they don't have quite enough polish. Every team that plays against them knows who's going to get the ball: it's either going to be Julius Randle or Jalen Brunson. That's about it. Oh, OG will get his points, as will Donte DiVencenzo and Josh Hart. But come crunch time, the game is in the hands of the dynamic duo.

The fact is that without a genuine third scoring option, the Knicks will continue to be outmanned and outgunned against the elite teams in this league. This isn't the NHL, where you can effectively "neutralize" the other team's best players. In Adam Silver's NBA, the cream always rises to the top. This is one professional sports league that knows how to showcase its talent.

And that's why Leon Rose needs to pull the trigger on the one deal that would catapult this team into a bonfire contender. He has enough first round draft picks to populate an entire roster. Sitting on them is not a viable option. In an earlier piece last month, I wrote that maybe Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz might be available. But the more I think about it, the more it seems unlikely that Danny Ainge would part with the centerpiece of the Donavan Mitchell trade, especially for just draft picks.

I then posited that Rose would do well to turn his sights south to Atlanta where the Hawks are clearly in rebuild mode. Dejounte Murray is on the trading block. Everyone on this side of the Milly Way Galaxy knows it. For the right package, he could be a had. Can you imagine a backcourt of Brunson and Murray? As I wrote last month, "it would harken back to the days of Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe."

Think about it. With three players capable of scoring 25 plus points per game, the Knicks would be almost impossible to defend. And with their defense, they could capture their first title since 1973.

So what needs to happen to make this trade a reality? For starters, Rose has to do something he's been reluctant to do: roll the dice. You're not going to land Murray for just a couple of picks. Atlanta GM Landry Fields needs to know he's getting a package that he can sell to his fanbase. And that package must include players who can actually play as well as first rounders he can rebuild around.

Here's a proposed trade that would be a win / win for both teams.

New York receives Dejounte Murray and Clint Capela.

Atlanta receives Quentin Grimes, Deuce McBride, Evan Fournier and three first round picks.

In addition to Murray, the Knicks get Capela to backup Isaiah Hartenstein. Nobody knows when or if Mitchell Robinson will return this season, and at 6' 8" Precious Achiuwa is simply not the answer.

In Grimes and McBride, the Hawks get a starting backcourt that is both young and has potential. And even though he fell out of favor with Tom Thibodeau, Fournier has played both guard and small forward and is a proven scorer. Regarding the three number ones, need I say more?

Some Knicks fans may squawk that including McBride in the package is too high a price to pay, even for an elite guard like Murray. I would counter that in a rotation that includes Murray, Brunson and Hart, it's unlikely that McBride would see the court anyway. Let's face it: unless the Knicks are up 20 with less than two minutes to go, Thibs is not one to empty his bench. That's not his style. In fact, in such a three-man rotation, DiVencenso could well see his minutes reduced.

With the Indiana Pacers improving themselves by acquiring Pascal Siakam, the Knicks don't have the luxury of standing pat. Yes, they are a better team now than they were three weeks ago, but ultimately their success will hinge on what they do come April, May and June.

The NBA trade deadline is February 8. The clock is ticking, Leon.

Leon Rose Isn't Done

"You are what your record says you are." - Bill Parcells 

Through 31 games, the New York Knicks were 17-14. By no means were they a bad team; but in a top-heavy league like the NBA, they were hardly contenders. After an exhilarating win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Christmas Day, they had dropped their last two and had fallen out of the top six in the Eastern Conference.

Give Leon Rose credit. He knew it wasn't going to get any better, and with Mitchell Robinson lost for the season, it had every chance of getting worse; a lot worse. Since the starting center went down, the Knicks have gone from the 4th best defense in the league to 15th. C plus may cut it in high school algebra, but for an organization that hasn't been to the finals since 1999 - and is now staring at 51 years without a title - it might as well have been an F.

So he did what he any competent man in his position would've done: he went for it - BIG! In what some are calling a blockbuster trade, he shipped RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a second-round draft pick to the Toronto Raptors for OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn.

The key piece in this transaction is Anunoby. The 6-7 small forward is the prototypical Tom Thibodeau player. Named to 2023 NBA All Defensive second team, he rebounds, blocks shots, gets the occasional steal, and is far-more consistent from both inside and outside the three point arc than Barrett, who in his five seasons in New York never quite realized his potential. He now gets a second chance in his native Toronto. 

Losing Quickley will deplete one of the few strengths of this team: its bench. But with IQ a pending free agent after the season, it was unlikely Rose was going to sign him anyway. Better to get what you can for a disappearing asset. The fact that the Knicks still have all their number one picks means they have plenty of draft capital with which to make other trades.

And you gotta believe Rose isn't done remaking this roster. With Jalen Brunson the only star, the Knicks desperately need an elite player to compete with the big boys. Julius Randle has the heart of a lion, but he's not that guy. And even when Robinson was healthy, he couldn't hold a candle to Joel Embiid, Kristaps Portzingis or Giannis Antetokounmpo. Face it: pick any contending team in the NBA the Knicks could go up against and they never had the best player on the court. 

Never.

The question isn't whether Rose will make another move, but with whom? The Utah Jazz could be a potential trade partner. They're clearly rebuilding. Last season, they dealt Donavan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers after rejecting a combination of players and draft picks from the Knicks. This time around, Rose could offer Danny Ainge four number one and three number two picks over the next two years that are fully conveyed for Lauri Markkanen. No matter how you slice it, that's a ton of draft picks. Even Ainge would have a hard time saying no to that.

Markkanen would give New York something they haven't had since Patrick Ewing: a center who can score and rebound. Just imagine this Knicks roster:

Starters:

C:   Markkanen

PF: Randle

SF: Anunoby

PG: Brunson

SG: Hart

Bench:

C:   Hartenstein

PF: Achiuwa

SF: Gibson

PG: Grimes

SG: DiVencenzo

If Rose can't pry Markkanen away from Utah, he can turn his sights south to Atlanta, where the Hawks might be willing to deal shooting guard Dejounte Murray for the right package. Can you imagine a back court of Brunson and Murray? It would harken back to the days of Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe. Rumor has it that the Los Angeles Lakers have the inside track on landing Murray, but you never know.

Bottom line, Knicks fans shouldn't get too attached to this lineup. I seriously doubt Rose acquired all these draft picks just to sit on them. And you can bet the ranch James Dolan is expecting something big. With the Rangers currently leading the NHL in points, he's not going to sit still while the other franchise that plays in his building is a second-tier team.

The next few weeks should be interesting.

Happy New Year.

2023-24 Knicks Preview

The 47 wins the New York Knicks amassed last season represented the most the franchise has had in a decade. And like that 2012-13 team which lost to the Indiana Pacers in the second round, last year's Knicks also saw their playoff aspirations come crashing down in the second round, courtesy of the Miami Heat.

Since their last championship 50 years ago, the blue and orange have made two trips to the NBA Finals: 1994 and 1999. Both bids came up short. Loyal fans are understandably hoping and praying that this is the season the drought comes to an end.

The good news: The 2023-24 Knicks should be better than the 2022-23 Knicks. Jalen Brunson - arguably last season's best free agent signing - begins his second season with the club, and Josh Hart - acquired at last year's trade deadline - begins his first full season. When they are on the floor together, they are one of the better backcourt tandems in the NBA.

The Knicks also boast one of the deepest benches in the league, led by perennial sixth man of the year award candidate Immanuel Quickley, newcomer Donte DiVincenzo and Isaiah Hartenstein. They give head coach Tom Thibodeau something few coaches have: an ability to rotate players in and out of the rotation without losing any quality on the court.

Assuming he isn't part of a package to land either Joel Embiid or Karl-Anthony Towns, RJ Barrett should continue to improve. The 6-6 guard / forward is entering his 5th season in the NBA and the Knicks are looking for him to drive to the basket more. Julius Randle is the face of the franchise and unquestionably the hardest-working player on this team, but there are limits to his game that were made abundantly clear in the Miami series last season.

And that leads us to...

The bad news: Despite being one of the toughest teams in the league to play against, the Knicks are NOT in the same class as the Milwaukee Bucks or the Boston Celtics: two teams that dramatically improved themselves during the off-season. If anything, the gap between the Knicks and the top two teams in the Eastern conference has widened. The opinion shared by most basketball writers and executives is that unless Leon Rose is willing to pull the trigger on a major trade that brings that elusive and coveted elite player to New York, the Knicks will never be anything more than just a very good team that occasionally teases its fanbase with a win now and then in the postseason, but never seriously competes for a title.

Immediately after the Bucks acquired Damian Lillard in a three-team trade that sent Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers, the speculation was that Rose might at least kick the tires to see what it would take to bring Holiday to the east coast. Apparently, that discussion never took place. Whatever it is that the Knicks plan on doing with their eleven number one draft picks - seven of which are their own - it's clear they aren't going to be parting with any of them soon. Perhaps if the right player becomes available at the trade deadline - another Josh Hart, for example - they might give up one or two. In the meantime, Rose and James Dolan appear content with the makeup of this team.

Prediction: The Knicks will win 48 to 50 games this season and compete with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat for the third best record in the East, but will fall short. It won't be from lack of effort or sweat. The fact is that despite all their depth and grit, it's still front-line talent that determines how far teams go in the NBA. And the Knicks just don't have enough of it to play in the big boys sand box.

Translation? The drought will continue for at least another year.

Below are my predictions for both conferences.

Eastern Conference:

Bucks

Celtics

Cavaliers

Heat

Knicks

Sixers

Hawks

Nets

Raptors

Bulls

Wizards

Pacers

Pistons

Hornets

Magic

Western Conference:

Nuggets

Warriors

Suns

Jazz

Grizzlies

Timberwolves

Lakers

Clippers

Kings

Mavericks

Trail Blazers

Pelicans

Rockets

Spurs

Thunder

Eastern Conference finals:

Bucks over the Celtics 4-3

Western Conference finals:

Nuggets over the Suns 4-2

NBA Finals:

Bucks over the Nuggets 4-3

Knicks Suffer Heat Stroke in Miami

Well it was nice while it lasted.

The New York Knicks season came to an unceremonious end at the hands of the Miami Heat last Friday. The final score of the game was 96-92, the final score of the series was 4-2. After thumping the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-1 in the first round, the Knicks went up against an opponent that was capable of exposing their flaws. Once the Heat realized the Knicks had no outside game - about halfway through the second quarter of game one - they ostensibly shut down their inside game. In short, Miami literally dared the Knicks to beat them from the perimeter and they couldn't. 

Credit Erik Spoelstra for out-coaching Tom Thibodeau; no small task. He made the necessary in-game adjustments that propelled the Heat into the Eastern Conference finals where they will meet the Boston Celtics for the second consecutive year. While Boston should be favored, I wouldn't be shocked to see Miami win. The most dangerous thing in professional sports is a good team that is well coached, and the Heat are well coached. The Celtics will have their hands full, that's for sure.

But getting back to the Knicks, despite the outcome against Miami, this was their most successful season since 2013. Most of the so-called experts had them winning 38 games. That they went 47-35 and finished in fifth place in the East is a tribute not only to Thibodeau but to Team President Leon Rose and GM Scott Perry. It was their decision not to give in to the Utah Jazz's demands for Donavan Mitchell that proved to be the difference. Had that trade gone through, the depth on the team, which was its strength all season long, would've been gone. And instead of advancing to the second round, like they did, they might very well have been eliminated in the first.

But while the Knicks depth was its secret sauce this season, its Kryptonite was its lack of an elite scorer. Jalen Brunson did everything humanly possible to will this team to victory, but in the end it was the bricks put up by Julius Randle and RJ Barrett that sealed their fate. The NBA is not the NHL. You can't simply gut your way to a championship. There is no E for effort on the basketball court. You either have the talent or you go home. Period!

First on Rose and Perry's To-Do list this offseason is to find the player or players that can turn this blue-collar, blood, sweat and tears team into a genuine playoff contender. That won't be easy to do. After watching Randle and Barrett shit the bed in Miami, it will be difficult to move either in a trade.

One player that would help is Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 6-11 center averaged 20.8 points per game in just 29 games this season. Over 511 career games, he's averaged 23 points, 11.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. While no Nikola Jokic, he would give the Knicks something they haven't had since the days of Patrick Ewing: a center who can score that opponents would have to respect. Randle, Mitchell Robinson and perhaps one of the eight first round draft picks the Knicks are holding might be enough to swing it.

But if the Knicks are really interested in a player that would transform them into the prohibitive favorites in the Eastern conference, they should set their sites southward along Jersey Turnpike. With the Sixers collapse in game seven against the Boston Celtics and the subsequent firing of Doc Rivers, there are a lot of unanswered questions in Philly. For instance, who will replace Rivers? Will James Harden ask for a trade? And if Harden leaves, will Joel Embiid want to be part of what could be a lengthy rebuild?

If the answer to that last question is no, then Rose and Perry need to move heaven and earth to make sure the reigning MVP is wearing orange and blue next season. In 66 games this season, Embiid averaged 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. If acquired, he would instantly become the best player on the Knicks and the best center in the history of the franchise, including Willis Reed. To land him, Rose and Perry might have to give up Randle, Robinson and all eight of those number one picks.

Is there an inherent risk giving up all that trade capital for a player who has never played a full season in his professional career? Undoubtedly. But think about the starting lineup the Knicks would have. Embiid at center, Barrett and Obi Toppin at forward and Brunson and Josh Hart in the back court. And with Isaiah Hartenstein, Quentin Grimes, Deuce McBride and Immanuel Quickley coming off the bench, the Knicks would still have a formidable roster.

All this, of course, is mere speculation. What isn't up for debate, however, is just how flawed the Knicks lineup is. Put bluntly, there's no way this team, as presently constructed, can return next season. Changes must be made. The draft capital is there; it's simply a question of finding the right trade partner.

Knicks Playoff Preview (Round Two)

Coming off an impressive five-game series win over the fourth-seed Cleveland Cavaliers, the fifth-seed New York Knicks begin a best of seven series against the eighth-seed Miami Heat Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden. At stake for the men in orange and blue is the first trip to the Eastern Conference finals since 2000. That was also be the last time the Knicks beat the Heat (4-3 in conference semifinals).

But while the Heat may be an eighth seed, they are not playing like one. Led by Jimmy Butler, who put up 56 and 42 points respectively in the last two games of their first round series against the number one seed Milwaukee Bucks, the Heat were one win away from going to the finals last season. A case can be made that this team is a legitimate title contender. It would behoove the Knicks to not take them lightly.

Both teams have been bitten by the injury bug. For the Knicks, Julius Randle re-injured his left ankle in game five of the Cavs series, while Quentin Grimes injured his left shoulder in game three. Both are listed as day-to-day and are vital to any hopes New York has of advancing.

For the Heat, Victor Oladipo - torn patellar tendon in the left knee - and Tyler Herro - injured hand - are both out for the series. Between the two, Herro is the bigger loss. He was second on the team in scoring during the regular season, averaging 20.1 points per game. For a team that wasn't terribly deep to begin with, not having him in the lineup will hurt.

Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer, for some reason, elected not to have anyone guard Butler. The result was that the all-star forward ran roughshod all over the Bucks. Butler averaged 37.6 points in the series. It is hard to imagine Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau making that same mistake.

But even with Thibodeau sicking someone on him, Butler will still get his points. That's okay, so long as he doesn't dominate the way he did against the Bucks. 25-30 is manageable; 35-40 and the Knicks will be in trouble.

As in the last round, the key to the Knicks success will be their depth. If Randle and Grimes are good to go, the Heat will be outmanned. If either are hobbled, though, this series will be up for grabs. Mitchell Robinson will play a huge role in the middle, as will Josh Hart and Immanuel Quickley coming off the bench. The Heat will try to contain Jalen Brunson; ultimately they will fail.

I expect this series to go the distance, with both teams winning at least one game in the other's arena. Barring overconfidence on their part, New York should prevail. 

Prediction: Knicks in seven.

Knicks Take Care of Business

The New York Knicks went into Cleveland last night up three games to one over the Cavaliers, needing just one more win to wrap up their series. And rather than punt it to a game six, they took care of business. It's nice to know there's one New York team that knows how to close out an opponent. And, yes, that was meant as a dig at you know who.

For the first time since 2013, the Knicks are in the second round of the NBA playoffs. And for the first time since 1999 - the last year they went to the finals - they won a best of seven series in five games or less.

To say this was a monumental accomplishment would be an understatement. I picked the Knicks in six, but even I didn't expect this kind of domination. At no point in game five - a game which the Cavs desperately needed to win to stay alive - did the Knicks trail. In fact, the closest Cleveland got to extending their season was when they pulled to within six (90-84) with 8:10 to go in the 4th quarter. For the next 3:58, the Cavs were held scoreless until Darius Garland - who had an abysmal series along with Donovan Mitchell - sank two free throws to make the score 96-86. Cleveland would not score again until Mitchell hit a jump shot with 3:06 remaining to make it 100-88. That's five minutes without a basket and only two measly free throws. Think about that.

Everyone contributed in this series. Jalen Brunson put on a clinic directing the Knicks offense. Mitchell Robinson had his way with both Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. R.J. Barrett redeemed himself over the last two games, putting up 26 and 21 points respectively. Immanuel Quickly and Obi Toppin came off the bench to provide much needed depth scoring; the latter playing the entire second half of game five after Julius Randle re-injured his left ankle late in the 2nd quarter.

And then there was Josh Hart, quite possibly the best trade deadline acquisition in franchise history. In a word, he was unconscious. For the series, he averaged 11.6 points and 7.8 rebounds, including twelve in game five, where he played all but 1:46. Since his arrival from Portland in February, the Knicks are 21-9.

New York out-rebounded Cleveland 227-186 for the series; and their bench outscored the Cavaliers bench 145-94, and that was with Quentin Grimes not starting in games four and five due to a shoulder injury he sustained in game three.

I haven't seen such tenacity - to steal a phrase from Clyde Frazier - from a Knicks team since the heydays of Patrick Ewing and Charles Oakley back in the '90s. They are without a doubt the hardest working team in the league. If they don't bring you out of your seat, it's probably because you're dead and you don't know it.

I rarely say this about any team I root for out of fear of jinxing them, but this Knicks team is capable of going deep in the playoffs. With the Milwaukee Bucks, the number one seed in the Eastern Conference, getting knocked off by the the eighth seed Miami Heat, New York has the home court advantage in the second round, thanks to the NBA's refusal to re-seed.

That doesn't mean they're a lock for the conference finals, mind you. The Heat, after all, were one win away from going to the finals last postseason. Let's face it, Jimmy Butler makes Donovan Mitchell look like a sixth man; he torched the Bucks defense in games four and five to the tune of 56 and 42 points respectively. Tom Thibodeau - who should be coach of the year - will have his hands full devising a defensive strategy to contain him. And we still don't know the extent of Randle's injury. If he's not a hundred percent, that will affect how the series plays out.

But for now, the Knicks can bask in the glory of what they accomplished in this series. They were the better team and they showed it. Two years ago, they were cowed by an Atlanta Hawks team that was deeper and more resilient. Now the tables have turned. They are the deeper and more resilient team. 

How deep and resilient, we are about to find out.

Knicks Playoff Preview (Round One)

It was two years ago that the Knicks entered the playoffs as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, and were quickly dispatched by the fifth seed Atlanta Hawks in five games. To say that was a painful loss would be putting it mildly.

But as the Monkees once sang, that was then, this is now. This year's Knicks enter the playoffs as the fifth seed in the East, but unlike that 2020-21 team, they are a lot deeper and a lot more potent. No longer are they depended solely on the offensive prowess of Julius Randle. They have other options like Obi Toppin, Quentin Grimes and Immanuel Quickley who should win the Sixth Man of the Year award. 

But by far the biggest additions to this Knicks roster have been Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart; the former signed as a free agent over the summer; the latter acquired at the trade deadline for Cam Reddish. Brunson gives this team what it's lacked since the glory days of the '90s: a bonafide point guard who can run the offense. And Hart provides much needed depth and energy coming off the bench. Since his arrival from Portland back in February, the Knicks are 17-8.

It's hard not to love this team. Coached by Tom Thibodeau, it's arguably, the hardest working group of players in the NBA. There is no load management here. If you're healthy enough to play, you suit up. Period. And in a league that over-indulges its stars, often to the detriment of its fans, that's a breath of fresh air.

So how will this resilient bunch fare against the fourth seed Cleveland Cavaliers? Glad you asked. It all comes down to Donovan Mitchell, the elite-level guard who supposedly was headed to New York during the offseason. That was before Cleveland stepped in and upped their offer to the Utah Jazz.

Knicks fans at the time were livid with Leon Rose for fumbling the ball at the one-yard line. But in retrospect, not closing that deal turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Had the Knicks landed Mitchell it likely would've cost them R.J. Barrett, Mitchell Robinson and Toppin, plus three of their four unprotected first round draft picks. Leaving aside the picks for a minute, can you imagine what this team would look like without those three players? Not to mention that with Mitchell on the team, it's doubtful the Knicks would've signed Brunson. That also means no Hart at the deadline.

Below is a comparison of what the Knicks would've looked like with and without Mitchell.

Without Donovan Mitchell

Starters:

Mitchell Robison C

Julius Randle PF

R.J. Barrett SF

Jalen Brunson PG

Quentin Grimes SG

Bench:

Isaiah Hartenstein C

Obi Toppin PF

Immanuel Quickley SF

Josh Hart SG

Deuce McBride PG

With Donovan Mitchell

Starters:

Hartenstein C

Randle PF

Quickley SF

Mitchell SG

McBride PG

Bench:

Jericho Sims C

Grimes G

Derrick Rose G

Seriously, which team would you rather have? Before you answer that, consider that the Knicks, without Mitchell, finished only four games behind the Cavaliers in the standings. While it's clear that the starting lineup would be slightly better with Mitchell, the bench, sans Grimes, would suffer greatly. Imagine a Tom Thibodeau team without a reliable bench. That is ostensibly what the Knicks would be had Rose agreed to Utah's demands last summer. Sometimes the best trades are the ones you don't make.

Now onto the matchup.

For the Knicks to prevail, they cannot let Mitchell and Darius Garland dominate the way they are capable of doing. Both players average over 20 points per game, with Mitchell averaging 28. Assuming Randle's ankle is sufficiently healed, the Knicks will have a decided edge in the front court over Evan Mobley and Lamar Stevens. If it isn't, Toppin will likely get the start. All that is moot, however, if they can't contain the Cavs backcourt.

During the regular season, the Knicks were fourth best in the NBA in turnovers, averaging just 13 per game. Against the Cavs, they averaged 15.5. The Knicks were also third best in offensive rebounds, averaging 12.6 per game. The latter is where Robinson and Hartenstein will earn their paychecks.

I expect Thibodeau to rotate his players and use his bench effectively. That means Quickley and Hart will get a ton of minutes. The Cavs, as loaded as their starting lineup is, will not be able to handle the Knicks depth. New York took three out of four from Cleveland during the regular season, and I see nothing that makes me think that trend won't continue in the postseason.

Prediction: Knicks in six.

The Knicks Are Building Something Special

On December 3, the Knicks record stood at 10-13. They had just lost to the Dallas Mavericks at Madison Square Garden, and it was becoming all too apparent that this season was starting to look eerily similar to last season when they finished 11th in the Eastern Conference with a woeful 37-45 record.

Over the last last twenty-two years that's been pretty much the story. One woeful season after another. With a couple of notable exceptions, there hasn't been much for Knicks fans to celebrate. There was the 2012-13 season in which they beat the Boston Celtics in the first round before losing to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals; and there was the 2020-21 season in which they lost to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round. That's pretty much it for the highlight reel.

Then something incredible began to happen. Since that loss to the Mavericks, the Knicks have gone 29-14. With Sunday night's win over the Celtics in Boston, they are now 39-27, a game out of fourth place in the Eastern Conference. They have won nine in a row: the second time this season they have put together win streaks of eight or more games. The last time a Knicks team accomplished that feat was during the 1972-73 season. They have the second-best road record and the 7th best point differential in the NBA. Since January, both the Knicks and Celtics have identical 19-9 records.

Something special is happening at the Garden, and for the first time in a very long time it doesn't involve the hockey team. These Knicks aren't just for real, they're starting to turn some heads, which given how many stomachs they've tuned over the last two decades I guess is only fair.

They're 3-1 against the Celtics; 2-2 against the Sixers; 2-0 against the Heat; and 2-1 against their likely first-round opponent, the Cavaliers. They've proven they can beat anyone in the league, and while it may be a bit premature to start referring to them as a contender, one thing is certain: whoever ends up playing them in the postseason will have one helluva battle on their hands.

The credit goes to Team President Leon Rose and G.M. Scott Perry. Their decision to sign Jalen Brunson over the summer has turned out to be the most consequential signing this franchise has made since Amare Stoudemire in 2010. Brunson has finally given this team what it has lacked since the days of Latrell Sprewell: someone capable of ball distribution. For the last couple of seasons that duty has fallen to Julius Randle. While a gifted - if somewhat inconsistent - scorer, bringing the ball up court was never Randle's forte. With Brunson as a legitimate point guard, the Knicks offense finally looks cohesive.

The addition of Josh Hart at the trade deadline has given coach Tom Thibodeau much needed depth. Indeed, with Hart, Immanuel Quickley, Obi Toppin and Isaiah Hartenstein, the Knicks have one of the deepest benches in the league. Quickley scored a season high 38 points against the Celts on Sunday standing in for the injured Brunson.

It's been fifty years since the Knicks last won a championship. That team was coached by the great Red Holzman, and it had Walt "Clyde" Frazier and Earl "the Pearl" Monroe in the backcourt, Willis Reed at center, Bill Bradley at small forward and Dave DeBusschere at power forward. By all accounts, it was the hardest working team of its day. Every time I see this Thibodeau-coached team take the court, it reminds me of that great Knicks team. Don't get me wrong: I'm not saying Jalen Brunson is Clyde Frazier, and Mitchell Robinson sure as shit ain't no Willis Reed. But the way these players bust their asses night in and night out is a throw back to a time when perspiration meant something besides BO.

Can they win it all? Probably not. They're still an elite player away. But like I wrote above, I'd hate to be the team that has to show them the door.

Imagine What Might've Been

Beginning in 2019, the NBA decided to use a weighted lottery system to determine which team had the privilege of going first in the draft. The decision couldn't have come at a worse time for the New York Knicks, who had the league's worst record at 17-65 and were looking forward to drafting Duke power forward Zion Williamson with the number one pick. Thanks to the bean counters in the league offices, they now had no better than a 14 percent chance of landing him.

Well as fate would have it, the New Orleans Pelicans, the team with the 7th worst record, wound up winning the rights to Williamson; the Knicks got the third pick, which they used to pick Williamson's teammate, RJ Barrett.

At the time, Barrett was considered a solid choice for a rebuilding Knicks team that was desperately looking to turn the page from yet another disastrous front office administration. But while Barrett has been a good, if unspectacular, player for New York, it was the second overall pick, which belonged to the Memphis Grizzlies, that has garnered the majority of headlines over the last three seasons.

Ja Morant is generally acknowledged to be an elite point guard and one of the most exciting players in the NBA. And in a league that rewards its stars the way kids are rewarded with ice cream for cleaning their rooms, Morant has his team solidly in 3rd place in the Western Conference, while the Knicks are mired in 12th in the East. 

Imagine what might've been. Imagine if the Knicks, instead of picking third, went second. Imagine Ja Morant wearing the blue and orange in the most famous arena in the world. Imagine what coach Tom Thibodeau could do with a budding star like Morant in his back court. The Knicks would be a contender instead of a sub-500 team that, with a bunch of middling players last year, over achieved and were ousted in the first round by the Atlanta Hawks.

It is axiomatic that in today's NBA, teams that do not have elite-level talent simply don't succeed. Take a look at the standings. Without exception, each team at or near the top has at least one player that can carry his team. The Sixers have Joel Embiid; the Nets have Kevin Durant; the Warriors have Steph Curry; the Suns have Chris Paul.

Unlike the NHL, which for some reason rewards its less talented teams by allowing them to neutralize the advantage superior talented teams have once the postseason begins, in the NBA, the cream always rises to the top. If the Knicks shot pucks instead of hoops, they'd be the Islanders. Hard as it is to believe, last year, the boys from Uniondale were five wins away from a Stanley Cup championship, and they didn't have a single scorer in the top 40. Go figure.

But, alas, the Knicks shoot hoops, and as it turns out, not very well. As a basketball team, they're not bad; they're just not all that good, especially against the top teams in the league. Julius Randle, last year's most improved player, tries hard every night. He just isn't a star; nor is Barrett, or anyone else on this team.

After last year's early exit, you'd think that Leon Rose would've spent the offseason moving heaven and earth to acquire a star that could've transformed this franchise into a bonafide contender. Someone like, say Damian Lillard, the Portland Trailblazer point guard who, while not quite on Morant's level, is considerably better than either Kemba Walker or Evan Fournier, both of whom played for the Boston Celtics last year. While the Celtics are currently five games over .500, the Knicks are five under. You can't tell me that for the right package, Rose couldn't have landed Lillard. You can't.

And now, with the trade deadline a few days away, it's time for Rose to think big picture. Having a team full of sixth-men just isn't going to hack it. You don't get an E for effort in the NBA; what you get is a big fat L. Case in point, the game against the Lakers the other night. Despite jumping out to a twenty point lead in the first half, the Knicks had no answer for LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the third quarter. They eventually lost in overtime.

That's been the story of this team all season long. Game in and game out, early leads dissipate once the other teams stars take charge. In the end, all the perspiration in the world can't overcome the dearth in talent. I don't care how good your coach is - and Thibodeau is one of the game's best - he can't shoot, or pass, or rebound. Athleticism, or a lack thereof, is the ultimate determining factor.

I've been a Knicks fan since the 1970s. I remember, fondly, the '73 team that had the likes of Walt, Clyde Frazier, Dave DeBusschere and Earl, the Pearl, Monroe. Under the guidance of coach Red Holzman, they won the NBA championship that season. That would be the last title this franchise would win. In all the years since, they've been to the finals twice: '94 and '99, with no cigar.

Great players come and go, most of them wearing the opposition's uniform. In the '80s, it was Bird and Magic; in the '90s, it was Jordan and Shaq. Like the Four Tops used to sing, it's the same old song. The only thing that changes is the date on the calendar.

Bittersweet

In the end, it wasn't as close as the final score suggested. The New York Knicks, a team that captured the hearts and minds of an entire city, was rudely shown the door by an admittedly superior Atlanta Hawks team.

It is axiomatic that regardless of which sport you play, your success is determined by how well you covert on your scoring opportunities. In baseball, if you're a batter at home plate and there's a runner on third base, your job is to drive him in. In football, if you're a quarterback and you have a receiver open in the end zone, your job is to get the ball to him. In hockey, if you have the puck on your stick and you have a clear shot at the goaltender, your job is to put the puck in the net. And in basketball, when you have an open shot, your job is to put the ball through the hoop.

In this best of seven series, one team understood that and that team wasn't the orange and blue. Indeed, the Knicks shooting over the five games was brutal, especially their star player, Julius Randle, who shot 51 percent against the Hawks during the regular season but an abysmal 30 percent against them in the playoffs. 

You can make this about Trae Young all you want - and let's be honest, he's a very easy player to hate - but Young wasn't responsible for the bricks the Knicks were throwing up. I don't care how good your defense is, you still gotta make your shots if you expect to win and the Knicks simply didn't make enough of them when it counted.

So now that a 41-31 season, which was good enough for 4th best in the Eastern Conference, has come to a premature end, the question begs what do the Knicks do in the offseason? Let's face it: whether they beat the Hawks or not, this team was never a serious threat to go past the second round. That's because the Milwaukee Bucks, Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers are all considerably better and are legitimate contenders for the title. The Knicks are at best two players away from that being the case. Clearly Leon Rose and Scott Perry have their work cut out for them.

The first thing they have to do is decide who to keep and who to send packing. Regarding the latter, it's clear the experiment with Elfrid Payton has run its course. Payton was a virtual non-entity down the stretch and forced coach Tom Thibodeau to start 32 year old Derrick Rose at point guard in game three against the Hawks. The extra minutes took their toll on Rose who looked exhausted by game five, and a Knicks' bench that wasn't exactly overstocked to begin with was left badly depleted. This team has to sign a legitimate point guard that can run the floor and distribute the ball.

Because the Knicks opted to go with one-year deals going into this season, several of their players including Reggie Bullock and Rose are now free agents. That means if management wants to retain them, they will have to pony up some serious bucks.

Rose is a no-brainer. Had it not been for him coming off the bench, this team most likely would not have made the postseason. The other star on the team, Randle, thankfully is signed through next season, but his flaws were exposed during the Hawks series. He may have been the most improved player in the NBA this season, but a first option offensive threat he is not. The Knicks not only need someone who can score from the perimeter but someone who can score from the paint. In short, they need their own Trae Young.

Players like that don't grow on trees, so it will be up to Rose and Perry to find one and convince him to move to Manhattan, the same way the Nets' Sean Marks convinced Kevin Durant to move to Brooklyn. Lest we forget, two years ago, the Nets were only 42-40. Anyone who tells you they saw this team coming together in 2019 is a fool or a lier. In today's NBA, contenders aren't grown, they're assembled. If Marks could do it, there's no excuse for Rose and Perry at least not trying.

As with all things pertaining to the Knicks, the wild card here is Dolan. If past is prologue, you can expect him to try and fuck up this rebuild the same way he did the last one in 2013. But for the moment, let's assume his new-found discovery of a frozen substance known as ice keeps him preoccupied long enough for this rebuild to be completed. The Knicks will have sufficient cap space this summer to make a splash or two in free agency. In other words, fans have every reason to expect that next year's Knicks will be better and more durable than this year's Knicks were.

The bottom line is that the future at the Garden looks bright. It sucks losing, I know, but this management team appears well equipped to address the team's needs. They have their coach and they have a strong nucleus of good role players. If they find the missing pieces, a championship may not be all that far away.

Stand up, New York!