After a long and incredible season, the New York Knicks have locked in their spot as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference and are set to face off against the Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs.
However, before the season, not many saw the Knicks being as successful as they were, with most pinning New York as a play-in team before they were able to even step on the court and play together.
Regardless, despite all the hate, doubt, and foolish predictions, the Knicks were able to defy the odds and blow their regular season expectations out of the water. This is thanks in part to players and coaches stepping up when the team needed them.
3 reasons the Knicks were able to defy their regular-season expectations
3. Immanuel Quickley’s breakout season
After two up-and-down seasons with New York, Immanuel Quickley finally put it all together in his third year. He became not only one of the best players on the Knicks but a player worthy of potentially receiving some hardware from the NBA for his work on the defensive side of the ball alongside his play off the bench.
Not only did Quickley put together what was by far his best offensive season, but he took a massive leap defensively and should be considered for an All-Defensive selection when voters are casting their votes.
In 80 regular season games, Quickley averaged 14.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while shooting 44.9% from the field and 37.2% from three on 5.5 attempts. Before this season, Quickley struggled with consistency and efficiency, never shooting above 40% from the field, but he finally put it all together for an incredible season.
The spark Quickley has provided both off the bench and in the 20 games in which he started cannot be underestimated. Without Quickley, the Knicks would likely be a much worse team on both sides of the ball, and fans are very grateful for what he’s done this season.
2. The Julius Randle resurgence
We all know how great of a season Julius Randle has had this year, however, what he put on display last season gave fans little hope for him. While Randle had an All-NBA level season in 2020, he did not follow it up well at all in 2021.
Despite this, Randle knew he needed to step up this season and did exactly that, averaging 25.1 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 45.9% from the field and 34.3% from deep on 8.3 attempts.
This may not have been a perfect season for Randle, but the way he completely turned it all around in a pivotal season is something that will always be remembered by true Knicks fans.
Without Randle’s resurgence, we are easily looking at a much worse Knicks team than we are currently faced with. You can’t replace a player who puts up the numbers Randle does, let alone his five 40+ point games and the game-winning shot he hit against the Heat.
Randle’s had his fair share of frustrating moments this season, but the Knicks would be in a completely different situation if not for his massively improved play.
1. The genius moves made by Leon Rose
While many doubted him before the season, as he had made his fair share of questionable moves in 2021-22, Leon Rose bounced back by pulling off a masterclass of moves both through free agency and the trade market.
Whether it be signing Jalen Brunson, a move that was heavily criticized at the time, bringing in Isaiah Hartenstein to be the new backup center, or trading for Josh Hart, Rose has done an incredible job at building this roster and he deserves his flowers.
Signing Brunson is an incredible move that deserves its own level of praise as the leap he’s made from role player to star has been ridiculous. However, bringing in key role players to flesh out some much-needed depth is also very important.
Rose deserves his criticisms for moves made in the past, but there are no doubts that he has done a wonderful job at constructing this roster and getting them ready for a potential playoff run. The season in general has been incredible to watch and we’re thankful that Rose decided to be more aggressive than usual in the offseason and at the trade deadline.
NBA Playoffs: 3 X-Factor Knicks that could surprise us, 2 that could fall flat
With the Knicks likely facing the Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs, there are a few X-factors that could change the tide of the series.