The 2022-23 New York Knicks were a team, like many Knicks teams over the last few decades, that had exciting moments and ultimately came up short. That year, they lost in six games to the Miami Heat in the second round of the playoffs. This year, someone from that Knicks team will win their first championship; the only question is who?
Only four players from 2022-23 remain on this current iteration of the Knicks. The roster has transformed itself, and the Knicks are in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in a quarter of a century. Knicks fans will hope that one of those four remaining players will be the one to win their first title, but there are other ex-Knicks who will fight tooth and nail to stop them.
Knicks out West
Ready to square up against one another in the Western Conference Finals are Julius Randle and Isaiah Hartenstein. Randle was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of the package that brought Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks last summer. Hartenstein opted to sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder when they offered him a three-year, $87 million deal in July of last year.
Randle has played a critical role for the Timberwolves, shaking off some of the playoff struggles he had in his years in New York to become a star alongside Anthony Edwards. Through two rounds, Randle is averaging 23.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game. Randle, along with Edwards, is the only remaining duo in the playoffs to both average over 23 points per game.
Hartenstein, meanwhile, has been a defensive anchor for one of the best defenses in NBA history all season. In the playoffs, Hartenstein is averaging 10.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. He remains one of the best offensive rebounders in the league, corralling 3.3 per game. He also still has his patented floater, which he is shooting 66.7 percent on in the playoffs, tied for the best mark among players who have taken at least 15 floaters in the playoffs.
Knicks out East
The only players remaining on the Knicks from the 2022-23 team are Jalen Brunson, Mitchell Robinson, Josh Hart, and Miles McBride. They have all played critical roles this season and these playoffs to get the Knicks to where they are. They will all need to be just as impactful in the Eastern Conference Finals if they are going to defeat the Indiana Pacers and their old friend Obi Toppin.
Obi Toppin was traded to the Pacers following the 2023 playoffs for two second-round draft picks. Since then, he has flourished in his role for Indiana. He has become a reliable 3-point shooter and an improved rebounder since his days on the Knicks. He is still every bit the athletic freak he was back then, too.
So, yes, someone from that 2022-23 team will be getting their first ring. The only question to be determined is who it will be.