The NY Knicks have exceeded expectations. Our writers reflect on the biggest takeaways from the season in the latest Daily Knicks roundtable.
The NY Knicks have posted a top-three defensive rating and currently sit within the top eight spots in the Eastern Conference. Just a guess, but this was probably not what the Vegas oddsmakers had in mind when they tabbed the orange and blue to finish with 22 wins and in 14th place in the East. But leave it to head coach Tom Thibodeau, as he has his team raising expectations and giving hope to a fanbase that has seen enough mediocrity to last a lifetime.
Even without fans in Madison Square Garden for most of the season, there’s been plenty of excitement with the Knicks. Julius Randle’s All-Star selection, the Derrick Rose trade, and the impressive play of rookie Immanuel Quickley have all been top stories this season. And with the playoffs within arms reach, the Knicks might actually be buyers at the trade deadline with hopes of giving their fans postseason basketball for the first time since the 2012-2013 season.
To summarize the first half of this NY Knicks season, Daily Knicks enlisted four writers for a midseason roundtable including Bradley Dressler, Adam Kester, Max Hoover, and Jeremy Goldstein. Let’s review the first half of the season.
NY Knicks: Biggest story of the season so far:
Brad Dressler – How can anyone disagree that the biggest story of the year is how well Julius Randle is playing? The man has solidified himself as a bonafide star and he wants to be in New York. Additionally, Randle’s improved three-point shooting is taking the Knicks somewhere no one could have fathomed they’d be right now. Not only that, but his defense, play-making, and leadership have been a dream come true.
Adam Kester – So many to pick from, and while Julius Randle is certainly having the biggest impact, I’m going to go with RJ Barrett. Barrett had such high expectations in his rookie season, and while it wasn’t a “Disappointment”, it certainly was hard to see Zion Williamson and Ja Morant instantly achieve star status. Fast forward a year later, and Barrett looks more comfortable and is actually developing on both ends of the court. The sky is the limit for this 20-year old, who’s already a prominent part of a winning team, one of the biggest markets in the country.
Max Hoover – There are two pretty obvious stories that jump out at you. There’s Julius Randle pulling a Kool-Aid man and kicking through the wall of low expectations that were in front of him before the season started. There’s also Immanuel Quickley adjusting to the NBA game faster than Taco Bell adjusts to your insides. That being said, the story is Tom Thibodeau’s performance as head coach. After his Timberwolves stint, people were concerned he could not connect with today’s NBA. He is silencing all those critics and should be in the discussion for Coach of the Year.
Jeremy Goldstein – Without a doubt, the play of Julius Randle has been the biggest story thus far. Going into the draft I think it’s evident that the Obi Toppin selection, made Randle’s future in New York a bit unclear. Yet, 37 games into the season Randle is averaging around 23 points per game along with 11 rebounds per game and notched himself the first All-Star selection of his career. He’s truly established himself as the leader of this team.
Where the NY Knicks can improve the most:
Brad Dressler – The Knicks are currently operating at one of the slowest paces in the NBA and that must change, this isn’t the 90’s. They need to speed things up as well as add a shooter or two into the rotation. They have a defense that can win them a championship today, but their offense must poke its head into the 21st century. They also have three score-first point guards and if they added another playmaking guard (ex. Lonzo Ball), it would help the offense tremendously.
Adam Kester – While some might think it’s long-distance shooting, I actually think it’s more playmaking. The NY Knicks rank in the middle of the pack in 3-point FG%, and really, I think where they can improve is more playmaking from their backcourt. Derrick Rose has certainly helped, but the long stretches of both Elfrid Payton and Reggie Bullock can lead to prolonged periods of stagnant offense. Does this come in the form of a trade? Victor Oladipo, Evan Fournier could certainly make a difference at a reasonable cost. With that said, this could just be something the team waits to address in the draft next offseason.
Max Hoover – There have been moments or even whole games where the offense is a 4th of July grill. There have been moments or even whole games where the defense is a gator-filled moat. There haven’t been enough games where we saw both of those things for 48 minutes. If the Knicks want to continue to compete at a high level, they must continue to push for complete performances. The Knicks can overcome dead quarters against some competition, but not over seven games and not against more elite competition.
Jeremy Goldstein – Shooting! As the deadline approaches the Knicks need to seek out an elite shooter to help diversify the team’s offense. While the stout defense is what makes the team competitive, the Knicks can’t take that next step unless they add some 3-point shooting. While the Knicks are 12th in the NBA in 3-point shooting, they’re a bottom feeder when it comes to points-per-game. Guys like Randle, Rose, and Barrett need more perimeter shooting to open the lanes for their drives to the hoop.
NY Knicks – How to approach the trade deadline:
Brad Dressler – One thing is for certain, they cannot act out of desperation. I like big blockbuster trades as much as the next guy, but the Knicks are still at a point where the wrong move can set the rebuild back five years. Be aggressive but calculated. The idea of trading for Karl Anthony-Towns, Bradley Beal, or Zach LaVine is sexy, but at this point very unrealistic. I’d be more than happy if they, instead, considered players like Lonzo Ball, Buddy Hield, or Victor Oladipo. The cost of doing business for those three players wouldn’t be as high, and they would still help the team.
Adam Kester – I think the NY Knicks are going to be cautious, but there are certainly some things they could address. I mentioned Oladipo and Fournier earlier, simply because I don’t think they’ll cost all that much and could be worth the gamble. The big names: Beal, LaVine, I really don’t even know if they’re actually available. Aside from a new guard, the Knicks could look to get some more depth at center due to injuries to Mitchell Robinson and Taj Gibson. It seems ok for now, but there’s still plenty of season left, so depth is key in case more injuries occur.
Max Hoover – Let’s assume the NY Knicks have the following trade chips. They have three players they’d rather not part with (Barrett, Robinson, Toppin). They have six players that are probably not still around by the end of their five-year plan (Bullock, Burks, Knox, Ntilikina, Payton, and Rivers). They have two first-round picks that are not their own. For argument’s sake, that total is 11 total trade chips. If they can get a player that solidifies their playoff chances this year without touching their first group of players, they should do it immediately. If they can get an All-Star caliber player and only lose one player from the first group, they should do it immediately.
Jeremy Goldstein – Obviously if the Knicks want to establish themselves as a team that can make some noise come playoff time. To accomplish that goal, they need to be buyers at the trade deadline and gain some assets, however, they should not unload for big-time players like Bradley Beal and Zach Lavine. The price is too high for them, and we can’t forget the Knicks are still building as a team and I don’t think a blockbuster deal is the right move in the middle of the season. Instead, the Knicks should look to gain some role players to make the team more attractive to upcoming free agents.
NY Knicks: End of season predictions:
Brad Dressler – With a decent trade or two, they hover right around either the fourth or fifth seed until the end of the season. Without a trade and if they remain healthy, they’ll settle into the sixth seed and avoid the play-in tournament. That being said, I do think that they could be a team capable of a major upset in the first round. The only teams that I see them having a serious problem within a seven-game series would be the 76ers and, I hate to say this, the Brooklyn Nets.
Adam Kester – The NY Knicks seem like they can hang with anyone. They’ve had some close losses to some of the NBA’s best teams, and it’s a testament to the team’s mental fortitude. The Knicks have some tough matchups in the near future, but I really do think this a team on-par if not better than the Pacers, Raptors, and the other middle-of-the-pack competition in the East. I think they finish 38-34 and finish fifth in the East. They face the Celtics in the first round and beat them in a grueling 7 game series with Randle overwhelming the Celtics’ thin frontcourt. LET’S GO!
Max Hoover – The second half of the schedule gets tougher for the NY Knicks. They also get a boatload of televised games for their trouble. The Knicks will lose a few more games in the second half of the season than they did in the first and likely finish up somewhere in the 6-10 range for playoff seeding. Operating under the assumption that the Knicks finish sixth, that sets up a pretty difficult 1st round matchup. I could see the Knicks losing to either the Sixers, Nets, or Bucks in 5-6 games. What matters most is how they get there. If the Knicks are competitive through the whole second half of the season and make a respectable playoff appearance, this season is a win. We weren’t supposed to be here yet, and it feels like we’re playing with house money.
Jeremy Goldstein – At the end of the season, I believe the Knicks will finish as the sixth seed, and lose in five games to a team like the 76ers. With the coaching of Thibodeau and strong play from the vets, I think the Knicks are good enough to avoid the play-in tournament. Still, they don’t have enough talent or playoff experience to win a series against a team like Philadelphia. If the season ends this way it is without a doubt a success. This would be exceeding original expectations by far and setting in place a good starting point for a hopeful future.
Playing meaningful basketball in April/May no longer seems like an unattainable goal. In fact, in year one of the Leon Rose regime, the Knicks have also established an identity on the court, maintained both cap flexibility, and future draft capital. Postseason basketball might just be the cherry on top of a great season!