3 ways Knicks can live up to RJ Barrett’s ‘shock the world’ expectation
1: Make it to the playoffs
If New York finds a way to make it to the playoffs this season, that alone would shock the world. The Knicks have made it to the postseason six times this decade, and only one of those appearances resulted in making it past the first round (2012-13).
New York fighting through the East to make the postseason is going to require a lot of things to go right for the Knicks. That’s what happened in 2020-21, but the conference is perhaps the best that it’s ever been.
Outside of the projected top five teams in the conference (Milwaukee Bucks, Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat, Philadelphia Sixers, Boston Celtics), there are teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Atlanta Hawks that traded for All-Stars this summer. Then there’s the Toronto Raptors, who finished 48-34 last season, and the Chicago Bulls, who finished right behind the Raptors at 46-36.
As you can see, the outlook for New York making the playoffs is slim, but the Knicks have depth, which is especially key for a long season. There’s a lot that can happen between October and April.
There’s no denying that the world will be shocked if the New York Knicks claw their way to the playoffs, but first, let’s try to make it through the first part of the season.
