Framing the New York Knicks' Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Indiana Pacers as some sort of blessing in disguise is all sorts of ill-conceived. It certainly isn't what fans want to hear, not after finishing two wins shy of the NBA Finals, and most definitely not when their team went all-in on its current core last offseason.
But failure is sometimes necessary. It lays the groundwork for tough conversations that otherwise may not be had. Through those discussions comes self-reflection; through self-reflection comes action; and through action comes improvement.
The Knicks will embark on this painful-yet-essential process now. And their future will be better off because of it.
The Pacers have forced the Knicks to ask some awkward questions
New York’s appetite for self-reevaluation would have been limited if it squeaked past Indiana. That’s not to say Rose and company would do nothing. But it’s a lot harder to make meaningful changes to a team that just made the Finals, no matter how glaringly imperfect it may be.
Heck, underwriting significant adjustments will be hard enough as it stands. Not only are the Knicks’ biggest problems difficult to solve due to a lack of assets and spending power, but they just made the Eastern Conference Finals while dispatching the reigning-champion Boston Celtics. That’s a big deal! It deserves to be celebrated, by both the franchise and its fans.
Invariably, though, the Knicks need to get a lot better. Winning two playoff rounds isn’t enough. The front office did not forfeit control over seven first-rounders to bring in Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns over the offseason for this window to peak here.
To that end, the manner in which Indiana beat New York is a borderline godsend. It shined a light on all of the squad’s most damning weaknesses. Turnovers ruined the Knicks’ championship chances in the end. Combined with topsy-turvy offensive play from Bridges and a shaky one-two dynamic between Towns and Jalen Brunson, the team’s need for another on-ball decision-maker who can make things happen against set defenses and full-court pressure has never been more apparent—or more urgent.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau was thoroughly outcoached by the Pacers’ Rick Carlisle. Thibs did explore different lineups and an extended rotation, but waiting over 90 games to do so speaks to the stubbornness that has grated on so many fans.
The (preferred) starting five of Brunson, Bridges, Towns, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart was a failure. It got outscored by 31 points for the entire playoffs, and was a minus-10 against Indiana. New York now knows, once and for all, it needs an opening-lineup alternative to Hart.
Finding that fifth player will force the Knicks to ask another necessary question that incites other essential follow-ups. Is Towns a 4 or a 5? If he’s a 4, is Mitchell Robinson the big man with whom he should be paired, or does New York need to get another one? If he’s a 5, how can the Knicks retrofit an above-average defense around the weakness of him and Jalen Brunson?
The pressure is on the Knicks—and that’s a good thing
This list of issues goes on. The Knicks absolutely need to incorporate more three-point volume into the offense, on top of everything else. If there is going to be a coaching change, they must figure out who and what constitutes an upgrade. Rose and the rest of the front office must identify the perfect free-agent target for their mini mid-level exception ($5.7 million). Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.
Not one of these problems is easy to address. They are even more complicated knowing New York has limited financial flexibility, and can’t build trade packages that guarantee another team gets a future first-round pick.
Slim resources will be no excuse for inaction, though. The Knicks proved they weren’t good enough—or even close to good enough. As painful as that is to stomach now, it will force the kind of internal evaluations and discussions that lead to change. Whether those adjustments, those swings, pan out will be a matter of course. But there is comfort in knowing the Knicks now have no other choice than to confront their worst flaws head-on.