For years, there’s been a pattern in the NBA. Whatever team wins the NBA Championship gets copied and/or game-planned against. This year, it was Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks. And just like LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, the Boston Celtics, and the Golden State Warriors before him, Brunson and the Knicks are getting planned for.
Brunson took a pay cut to help the Knicks win a title. That allowed them to build out some great depth. Now, teams are trying to add depth and star power – which is exactly what the Knicks had. They want a star ball-handler (LaMelo Ball trade), a superstar leading the way (the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade), and elite depth behind them (every single trade being made around the league).
It’s not keeping up with the Joneses right now. It’s keeping up with the Knicks.
Teams are trying to copy the Knicks like they tried to copy LeBron James and Nikola Jokic
Back when James was at the peak of his powers, teams wanted to stop him. They did everything in their power to match what he brought to the table or find a guy who could bring him down.
Andre Iguodala was that guy for the Warriors. He won an NBA Finals MVP because of it. Kawhi Leonard was that guy before Iguodala, and he won a Finals MVP because of it.
Then, fast forward to Nikola Jokic. He and Joel Embiid revitalized the big man in the modern era. Teams re-realized the importance of having a good center leading the way.
The Minnesota Timberwolves even built their roster out to specifically beat Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in a playoff series, and it worked to perfection the very year after Denver won it all.
When the Warriors were winning, teams wanted to shoot more threes. When the Celtics won, the Knicks got more wings to help defend Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown (and it worked).
It’s a copycat league, and the Knicks have built something that is very hard to copy. But teams are inevitably going to try anyway. And it has already started this summer.
The Wolves traded for Ball to be their leading man at point guard. The Heat traded for Antetokounmpo so they could have some actual star power in town.
James may take a pay cut to join the Warriors. Draymond Green is already considering doing so. Depth is as important as ever, and the Celtics may trade Jaylen Brown for more depth. And a team may land Brown to increase their star power.
In every team’s own weird way, they are trying to copy the Knicks’ blend of star power and depth.
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