After a massively disappointing 2021-22 season, the New York Knicks are looking to bounce back and make their second playoff appearance in three years after signing a couple of key free agents, while still making it clear that the team wants to focus on the development of the young players.
Obviously, it is unknown if the Knicks will make the playoffs or not during the upcoming season. However, there are still some predictions fans can make to set expectations for 2022-23.
Regardless of how many games New York wins this season, it should still be very fun to watch, as the team has no shortage of exciting players.
5 things to expect from the Knicks during the 2022-23 season
4: More improvements from RJ Barrett
In each of his three seasons in the league, RJ Barrett has shown massive improvements, becoming better in almost every way as a player.
Whether it be his shooting, driving, defense, or playmaking, we have seen Barrett make tremendous improvements each season. While from an efficiency standpoint, Barrett did not have the best season, he still made massive strides as a scorer and playmaker while still maintaining his good defense.
If this continues, we can expect Barrett to become an even better basketball player and potentially even be named an All-Star.
Last season, Barrett averaged 20.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 3.0 APG while shooting 40.8% from the field and 34.2% from three. Ignoring the efficiency, this is a very good season for the 22-year-old. Even if Barrett has the same stat line, but improves his efficiency, it will be a huge step in his progression.
I am a huge believer in Barrett and his potential. If he can just continue the strides he has made thus far during his time in the league, then I believe there is no doubt he will be a multiple-time All-Star by the time his career is over.
3: An improved season from Julius Randle (maybe)
Before joining the Knicks, Julius Randle was a pretty effective role player using his ability as a slasher to work off-ball to get himself open for easy buckets. However, once he joined the team, things changed for the worse, as Randle became an inefficient, ball-dominant player who was more of a negative than positive on the floor.
Don’t get me wrong, Randle’s 2020-21 season was nothing short of fantastic. However, that was one good season in the three that he has had in New York.
Despite all of this, though, I still believe there is room for Randle to go back to his old play style next season now that things have gotten better around him. Before I go into that, I will say this — Randle is not, and should not be the first option on this team. In my opinion, in terms of who has the ball in their hands in the starting lineup, Randle should be third behind Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett.
If Randle is willing to accept a role where he has the ball in his hands less, then I believe there will still be a future with him on the Knicks. However, if he does not accept this role, then I believe it would be best for New York to move on from the former All-Star.
I believe that if Randle has the ball in his hands less while working more off-ball and simultaneously improving defensively, then he will become a tremendous complimentary piece.
2: Increased minutes for the young players
Last season, one of the biggest complaints towards head coach Tom Thibodeau was how he played veterans over the young guys far too often and hampered their development. However, after the trades of Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel, and Kemba Walker, it seems as if the Knicks are finally emphasizing the development of their young talent.
While they won’t all start, the fact that they will be getting increased minutes is something to be excited about, as we have seen what they are capable of in limited minutes.
Players like Obi Toppin, Quentin Grimes, and Immanuel Quickley showed they could be very productive when given big minutes. With the removal of these veterans, it is likely that not only the young stars will get increased minutes, but their time on the court will be more consistent.
All three of the young players I mentioned have the potential to be stars in this league. New York must put an emphasis on their development no matter how many games the team wins or loses.
1. Knicks make a huge trade during the season
With all the rumors surrounding the Knicks and superstar Donovan Mitchell, it feels as if a trade could be coming at some point, whether it be for Mitchell or not. While the NBA trade market is notoriously unpredictable, there is almost always at least one All-Star level player who requests a trade during the year.
This could be something that works in the favor of New York, as a star or superstar player could push the team closer to contention. Don’t get me wrong, a trade could end up being bad, as the Knicks could give up way too many assets that could harm the team in the long run. However, adding a star player could be key to the overall success of the team.
Despite all of this, the Knicks will likely only make a trade of this caliber if they are playing at a high level. While there is a good chance of this happening, there is always the chance that it won’t happen.
Over the last couple of years, we have seen many stars request trades from their teams. If the Knicks are bent on pushing themselves over the edge into contention, they should heavily look into making a trade ahead of the February deadline.
3 players that the Knicks could end up trading in 2022-23
With the Knicks trading several veterans during the offseason, we could see a continuation of this entering the 2022-23 NBA season.