It’s time to relive what was the 2021-22 season for the New York Knicks. Yay. Despite an exclusive number of silver linings, this year for the franchise was a huge step back and an overall failure.
As to not get ahead of myself (and if I’m being honest I’m just trying to get enough text for a proper introduction), let’s first highlight some of the things that went right in 2020-21. What made New York such a success a year ago?
The Knicks took advantage of a disappointing Eastern Conference, one that proved much more competitive this season, by finishing fourth in the standings.
New York blindsided the NBA with a season-long elite defense and major improvements and contributions from seemingly everyone on the roster. Even the guy that is now the Phoenix Suns’
waterboy
backup to the backup point guard helped out.
Veterans who were signed to be flipped at the deadline wound up being key rotation pieces. A pair of rookies not expected to add much beyond eating up reserve minutes became instant and dazzling spark plugs off of the bench.
Led by a rising star who would make his first All-NBA and All-Star team while winning Most Improved Player, and a sophomore whose performance shocked even the most optimistic among us, the Knicks exploded up the power rankings and proved to be a team several steps ahead of their rebuild. Their head coach even won the most prestigious award for his title.
Did you get all of that? Did you retain the knowledge I have shared with you? Good. Now, I want you to take that information and flush nearly all of it down the toilet. The test will not be cumulative.
Just about every aspect I mentioned that made for a special season last year was ripped apart into bite-sized pieces this year. And now that it’s over, let’s discuss in broader detail what three factors led to such negative results.