Though the campaign did not end the way the organization wanted, the New York Knicks enjoyed breakout success in 2020-21. Despite meager preseason expectations, the Knicks earned home-court advantage in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, riding Julius Randle’s tremendous play and a high-end defense engineered by Tom Thibodeau to a 41-31 record. New York did exit the postseason quietly and quickly, though, leading to some high-profile changes to the roster as the 2021-22 season arrives.
Roster:
RJ Barrett
Alec Burks
Evan Fournier
Taj Gibson
Quentin Grimes
Kevin Knox
Miles McBride
Nerlens Noel
Immanuel Quickley
Julius Randle
Mitchell Robinson
Derrick Rose
Jericho Sims (two-way)
Obi Toppin
Luca Vildoza
Kemba Walker
Projected Vegas Win Total: 41.5 wins
Biggest Addition: Kemba Walker
New York had money to spend and they used it to beef up their offense. Walker essentially fell in their lap after a buyout with the Thunder and, instead of making a max salary, Walker is now slotted in at around the mid-level exception. As such, he won’t necessarily be expected to carry the type of workload he did in Charlotte and early in his Boston tenure, and Walker has still been a very potent offensive creator when healthy. New York may want to be careful with his deployment (something that isn’t a staple under Thibodeau), but Walker and Evan Fournier raise the Knicks’ offensive ceiling considerably.
Biggest Loss: Reggie Bullock
The Knicks are basically bringing the band back other than Bullock. New York clearly upgraded in talent with Walker, Fournier and a bunch of intriguing draft picks, but Bullock will be a loss for them. He was a two-way wing on a team that didn’t have many last year, and Bullock’s shooting was highly valuable for the Knicks.
Biggest Question: Can the Knicks’ defense hold up?
New York flirted with the No. 1 defense in the league for parts of last season, and finished at No. 4 overall while allowing fewer than 1.08 points per possession. That was the clear impetus in the team’s success but, even as Walker and Fournier will undoubtedly help their offense, those two players won’t be positives defensively. Can Thibodeau overcome that downgrade in defensive aptitude? That is a big question, especially considering New York’s statistical profile didn’t always look like a top-five unit last year.
What Makes This Season A Success
It isn’t realistic to pencil in the Knicks for a return to a top-four seed. The Hawks, Heat and Celtics (in addition to the returning top three) are projected for more wins, and the East is quite deep. Instead, New York simply returning to the playoffs would be a success. That may not please everyone, but the Knicks still don’t have quite the top-to-bottom strength of other franchises, and showing competence in back-to-back seasons would go a long way.
What Makes This Season A Failure
Even if it’s unfair, going from a top-four seed to missing the playoffs wouldn’t feel good for New York. It is wild to say, but it is at least possible the Knicks could be just as good as last year’s team from a metric standpoint, only to end up in the play-in and out of the final eight-team mix. If Randle takes a step back from his breakout form, the Knicks could scuffle, and Thibodeau also has a tendency to wear out his welcome a bit after the first year or two. New York is better on paper than they were last season, but a lot can change.
