Knicks: Will this be the season in which you finally conquer the East?
After reaching the Eastern finals last season, the Knicks have the challenge of surpassing that stage.
After reaching the Eastern Conference finals last season, the New York Knicks They have the challenge of overcoming that instance.
But it won’t be easy: in the middle of the offseason, the New York board decided to change coaches.
How far will the Knicks’ aspirations go? Can they take the East? Experts answer these questions.
1- Will this be the season in which the Knicks finally conquer the East?
Fiction: After two consecutive eliminations in the Conference semifinals, the Knicks managed to reach the Eastern Conference finals, only to meet again with the Indiana Pacers and see the end of their dream, which meant goodbye to Tom Thibodeau as coach, replaced by Mike Brown.
The big question is whether the coach had reached his limit or whether it is the entire team, which has the duo of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns to be an entertainer, but does not have a star to take it to the next level as Tyrese Haliburton did with Indiana and does not boast a block as solid as that of the Cavaliers, who have also fallen short. —Juan Pablo Sanchez
Reality: Perhaps the best news for the Knicks was the fact that they will finally have a coach who is not afraid to use the bench in the postseason. Out goes Tom Thibodeau and in comes Mike Brown, a two-time winner of the NBA Coach of the Year award and someone who routinely gets his teams into the playoffs. No key player left, but Jordan Clarkson arrives, a natural scorer who will help Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns have more offensive diversity. Today, this team stands very well against Cleveland and Orlando, its closest competitors, and will take advantage of a year in which both Boston and Indiana will seek to recover after serious injuries to Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton, respectively. —Eric Gomez
2- A number for Lakers heading into the season…
940. The five-player lineup, comprised of Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, played 940 minutes in the regular season, the most in the NBA by far. Only one other lineup (the Minnesota Timberwolves starters, with 714 minutes) reached 500 minutes. This was to be expected given former coach Tom Thibodeau’s preferences.
But contrary to expectations, the Knicks’ starters didn’t mesh well at all, despite their connections to Villanova and their theoretical positional balance. The group finished with a plus-3.2 net rating, which sounds good, but is actually below average for a high-usage lineup; the 50 five-man units with the most playing time last season finished with an average net rating of plus-5.0, according to an analysis of data from NBA Advanced Stats. Then in the playoffs, New York’s starters had a net rating of minus-6.2 as the team relied on lineups featuring reserves Mitchell Robinson and Miles McBride to reach the conference finals.
With new coach Mike Brown, and two more reliable reserves (Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele) in the mix, New York’s starters probably won’t spend as much time together this season. But not only can they play less frequently; They also need to play better in their second season together for New York to reach its first Finals of this century. —Zach Kram
3- The best/worst version of the team…
The best: The one in the playoffs against the Celtics last season, with great basketball, dominating the back and front court and with Jalen Brunson as a great leader. The addition of Karl-Anthony Towns strengthened the team in all aspects, but the Knicks should not depend only on Brunson and KAT to get the results. Knicks have a squad that has been playing together for several years, with an identity; However, the departure of coach Tom Thibodeau may be the team’s weak point.
The worst: Precisely what has to do with the bench, coach Mike Brown played a fair to good role during his time with the Sacramento Kings, but in the end he could not make the leap in quality, something that is not even considered in the Knicks. Brown must adapt his style of play to a team that was well coached, give it his stamp and keep it as a contender in the East. Anything less than the Conference Finals would be a failure. —Roland of the Forest
4- What will affect the Knicks’ chances more: pressure or talent?
On paper, the Knicks have a team to win the East and compete for the championship. The conference looks weakened by injuries to stars (Celtics and Pacers), untested teams (Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic) and Giannis campaigning ‘only’ with the Milwaukee Bucks. And the Knicks’ main rival, the Cleveland Cavaliers, have the same problem as those from ‘The Big Apple’: They have not been able to withstand the postseason spotlight. And that is, ultimately, what I think will end up dooming the season in New York. The talent is there and the door is open in the East; I anticipate that they will manage to open it under Mike Brown in his first season in charge. But I wouldn’t be surprised if they fall sooner under the pressure of getting that coveted ticket to the Finals.
If we advance to the Finals, the talent (player by player) is comparable to the giants of the West, outside of the champion Oklahoma City Thunder. Depending on the matchup, they could even be favorites. However, between the pressure and expectations of such a scenario, I believe that the Knicks would not withstand the push and their season would end with the same question of how to overcome the final hurdle. —Victor O. Lopez
