The New York Knicks' up-and-down season has some analysts reluctantly predicting them to make the NBA Finals, and others doubting that they can make the kind of run that fans seem to be expecting. ESPN's Tim Bontemps said on Wednesday's Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective that he's not confident in New York's chances this season, and he doesn't think fans should be either.
If the long-time scribe's feelings about the team are correct, and the Knicks aren't able to replicate a playoff run like last year's, it could pave the way for real roster change given the team's championship window and the amount of pressure on them to go all the way.
Bontemps casts doubt on Knicks' title hopes, calls Celtics series fluky
The root of Bontemps' doubt seems to be the manner in which the Knicks took down the Celtics in the second round of last year's Eastern Conference Playoffs. The writer told co-hosts Windhorst and Tim MacMahon that the win didn't feel sustainable, due to odd circumstances but also an implication that this year's team doesn't seem like the type to pull off such a dramatic comeback.
"I know the Knicks beat the Celtics last year in the playoffs, but that was an incredibly weird series. I don't feel like it would repeat that way many times, given the Knicks had two 20-point comebacks in the first two games of the series on the road. It's hard right now for me, if you're a Knick fan, to sit here and feel confident that the Knicks are going to be able to make the kind of playoff run that they have been expecting to," Bontemps told Windhorst and MacMahon.
The writer hedged, leaving the door open for another potentially deep run, but has fair concerns regarding the team's inconsistency and the length of their adjustment period under new head coach Mike Brown.
"They look like a team that is not going to come close to making Finals, nor winning them. There's time for that to change, but it's a weird fit. Certainly not ruling them out in a wide-open Eastern Conference, but I think there's a lot to be concerned about if you're a Knick fan," Bontemps stated.
A Knicks playoff dud could pave the way for major roster shake-up
The scribe also referenced the team's internal championship expectations, referring to James Dolan's appearance on WFAN in early January. The Knicks' governor stated that he expects the team to not only make it back to the Eastern Conference Finals, but to make it a round further into the NBA Finals themselves.
Whether it's fair or not, the clock is ticking on the Knicks' championship window and they need to make sure they're making the most of it. Having already fired their previous coach in Thibodeau, as Bontemps referenced, it's unlikely that they decide to change coaches again.
It might not make sense for one disappointing playoff run to catalyze sweeping changes across the board, but nothing happens in any world without context. If a great, all-around effort from players and staff just isn't enough to get the job done, the team could very well run it back.
But if they don't inspire management, or governorship, to the extent that they'd like, change might be coming. And it would likely be the Knicks' roster that looks different in 2027, not its coaching staff.