The New York Knicks currently find themselves in the best position they’ve been in for quite some time. After far too many years of mismanagement, financial incompetence, and overall poor decision making, the Knicks seem to have finally turned a corner. For the first time in well over two decades, the Knicks have paired an impressive level of present day competitiveness, with enough assets and resources to allow them to remain competitive for years to come. For a franchise that has continually failed to build a legitimate title contender, despite being a marquee free agent destination for potential stars, these have to be truly exciting times for the fanbase.
It’s easy to look at the current iteration of the Knicks and think they got to where they are overnight, but in truth, they got to where they are by not skipping steps. It all truly began back in 2020, when Leon Rose was hired as the franchise’s new president. Unlike what they so often tried to do in the past, Rose took a more steady level-headed approach. First he hired Tom Thibodeau, who went on to win Coach of the Year honors in 2021, while coaching Julius Randle to his first All-Star appearance. Next, in 2022, the Knicks found Julius Randle his co-star, signing Jalen Brunson to a reasonable 4-year $104 million dollar deal. By implementing a new level of patience, and by ditching their continual desperate search for an ‘all-caps’ STAR to save their franchise, the Knicks successfully laid the groundwork for a team that could both excel in the present and the future. And it is because of this unhurried strategy—which once felt like a foreign concept to the team—that they find themselves where they are now.
As things currently stand in the Eastern Conference, things appear to be wide open behind the Boston Celtics, as nearly every team vying for the number 2 seed has question marks of their own. Whether it’s the Bucks and their coaching/defensive question marks, or the Sixers and their giant Embiid-sized question marks, or the Cavaliers continual question mark regarding an adequate 3-and-D player to slot into their starting lineup; there’s no reason to believe the Knicks aren’t capable of stepping up and snatching the number 2 seed for themselves. Additionally, perhaps more so than any other team in the league, the Knicks have improved themselves throughout the duration of the season. Whether we’re talking about the acquisition of OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa, or more recently Bojan Bogdanic and Alec Burks—via the NBA trade deadline—the Knicks have done an A+ job of accumulating enough firepower to hold their own against just about anyone. If the Knicks are able to get their entire roster healthy in time for the playoffs—they are currently dealing with a handful of injuries—they could, or quite possibly should, be looking at a deep playoff run.
Jalen Brunson is currently playing like, and proving himself to be a top 20-25 player in the NBA, which is crazy to say considering he was a 2nd round pick and a 6th man for the majority of his career before arriving in New York. And Julius Randle, is not far behind him, arguably playing like a top 30 player in the NBA. But even still, the question remains, can you truly win an NBA title, in the modern day, without a top 5-10 player? Can you win at the highest level without a player at or near the level of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Steph Curry, Lebron James, Kawhi Leonard, or Nikola Jokic? This is a question the Knicks are testing and pushing to the absolute limit, because besides not having the aforementioned All-World star level player on their roster, they check just about every other championship team box. Elite coaching? Check. Elite defense? Check. Elite role players? Check. Elite offensive efficiency? Check. Whether Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle are good enough to put their team on their back and win a series—or two—for them, is the only question mark remaining for the New York Knicks.
In conclusion, more than anything else, the Knicks ability to adopt a new and modernized team building strategy is what has brought them back to the forefront of basketball relevancy. Just like when Patrick Ewing led the Knicks back in the 90’s, the Knicks are back to being must see TV, and they’ve brought a real and palpable excitement and energy back to the city. Through the combined powers of Tom Thibodeau, Jalen Brunson, and Julius Randle the Knicks have the Mecca of basketball buzzing once again. And now, with a front office that is actually operating like they have a calculated and mapped out gameplan, the Knicks are primed to keep this positive momentum moving forward. The NBA is a better, more compelling league when the Knicks are at their best, and for the first time in quite some time, the Knicks are holding up their end of the bargain.
Credit Photo – Jalen Brunson; Credit AP
