Two consecutive conference semi-finals, notable transfers that can still take the team to another level… It's been a long time since New York and Knicks fans have been so enthusiastic and it must be admitted that they have some reasons to believe it. They have already found a real boss, with Jalen Brunson. The club has been looking for years for a leader, who is also a leader, capable of withstanding the pressure of Madison Square Garden.
With Leon Rose in office, the franchise has also found stability and consistency. As well as an ability to work over the long term, without rushing the construction of the team.
The way the Knicks refused to go “all-in” to get Donovan Mitchell back, before patiently and intelligently maneuvering to get Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns back, shows that the front office has a coherent vision, to offer Tom Thibodeau the best group possible.
Will it be enough to do better than a conference semi-final, and reach the final four of the NBA? If the mayonnaise sets quickly, and the major players avoid injuries, all the ingredients are there. Enough to get the franchise's third title, more than fifty years after the last?
SUMMER MOVEMENTS
Arrivals: Pacôme Dadiet, Cameron Payne (Sixers), Mikal Bridges (Nets), Karl-Anthony Towns (Wolves)
Departures: Bojan Bogdanovic (Nets), Isaiah Hartenstein (Thunder), Alec Burks (Heat), Taj Gibson (Hornets), Julius Randle (Wolves), Donte DiVincenzo (Wolves)
PLAYER TO FOLLOW: KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS
In the financial inability to retain Isaiah Hartenstein, who left for the Thunder, and with Mitchell Robinson still fragile, the Knicks' interior sector could be worrying as the season approached.
That’s because we didn’t see the club’s second summer transfer coming, after that of Mikal Bridges. Exit indeed Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, and welcome Karl-Anthony Towns! With his shooting qualities, “KAT” will allow the Knicks to play very wide, in a “5-out” pattern somewhat similar to that of the Celtics. The question is whether the first pick of the 2015 Draft can be a team's last line of defense, especially in the tense and physical playoff series of the Eastern Conference…
In New York, we are therefore taking the gamble, betting on the return of Mitchell Robinson during the season, and we think that the shooting qualities of Karl-Anthony Towns will help unlock a lot of things for his teammates, by further excluding defenses than what Julius Randle could do.
But the success of the Knicks' season depends greatly on the “KAT”, both on his ability to stay healthy, while being solid defensively (an area in which he has made great progress in recent seasons) while being effective in attack in important moments, while he was able to experience big dips in the playoffs.
Average age: 26.7 years
Payroll: $185.3 million (6th)
THE IDEAL SCENARIO
As hoped by the Knicks management, the Jalen Brunson – Karl-Anthony Towns tandem is a nightmare for all opposing defenses, incapable of holding both the leader and the interior.
Returned to a third option role, Mikal Bridges regains his effectiveness and the soldiers Josh Hart and OG Anunoby ideally complete this major five which offers almost no flaws. The rotation is often short, but it holds up as the Knicks keep pace with the Celtics throughout the regular season.
Enough to position themselves perfectly for the playoffs, with a group which totally adheres to the ideas of Tom Thibodeau, and which follows Jalen Brunson, his boss, to the point of setting New York ablaze.
Without injuries, and with Madison Square Garden hotter than ever, the title seems within reach…
THE WORST SCENARIO
Certainly, the Knicks got rid of Julius Randle, capable of the worst as well as the best, but they recovered Karl-Anthony Towns who spent more than a third of the last five seasons in the infirmary…
More exposed than ever in the Knicks' scheme, particularly in the absence of Mitchell Robinson at the start of the season, “KAT” still misses a lot of games, forcing the other starters to play a lot to keep up with the big guns in the conference. East, in order to hope to regain home field advantage in the playoffs.
In this race with reduced numbers, with limited bench depth, the organizations suffer and the Knicks arrive in the playoffs on their knees, and a ton of small injuries to manage. New York does not pass the first round and it is obviously a big disappointment after the arrivals of Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns.
