In a way, the New York Knicks will start the 2024-25 season looking a lot like they did the last time you saw them, but with a couple of key upgrades: Instead of Isaiah Hartenstein setting screens for Jalen Brunson, it’ll be a four-time All-Star, and instead of Donte DiVincenzo firing up 3s off pindowns, it’ll be a different Villanova alum. Tom Thibodeau will still be screaming from the sideline, Josh Hart will still be crashing the glass and Mitchell Robinson, sadly, will still be injured.
It will be difficult, however, to see this iteration of the Knicks in the same light as the stubborn, shorthanded squad that was supposed to be beneath the Eastern Conference’s elite but crashed the party uninvited and came away with the second seed. Four years after taking over a team that had finished 21-45 and failed to qualify for the NBA bubble, Leon Rose’s front office pushed its chips in. The trades that brought Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges to New York cost the franchise Julius Randle, the star scorer acquired as a free agent in 2019 before three All-Star appearances; DiVincenzo, the fan favorite signed in 2023 before a career year; and a bevy of mostly unprotected first-round picks. These are the type of moves you make when you think you can contend for a championship.
Thibodeau may not have the reputation as the league’s most adaptable coach, but last year’s Knicks had to evolve on both ends after trades and injuries. This year, they have do that again, with high-end talent and heightened expectations. Brunson’s challenge, coming off an All-NBA season, is to scale back his usage, improve his efficiency and make sure the new guys are comfortable. Towns’ challenge is to do what he did so well in Minnesota last year: find his place as the No. 2 guy on offense and play his part on the other end. Bridges’ challenge is to be the DPOY candidate he was in Phoenix and show off the on-ball skills he has been honing since he left. Thibodeau’s challenge? To wring the absolute most he can out of this group, as if they are a bunch of scrappy overachievers.
The state of play
Last year: Robinson got hurt in early December, and the Knicks’ defense fell off a cliff. They were 17-15 at the end of the calendar year, but won 15 of 17 games after OG Anunoby’s arrival. Injuries to Anunoby and Randle only somewhat set them back; they finished 50-32 (No. 7 on offense, No. 9 on defense) thanks to Brunson turning into a superstar, Hartenstein doing a bit of everything, DiVincenzo bombing away and Hart playing a zillion full-throttle minutes. They beat the Sixers in six tight games, the most memorable series of the entire playoffs, but lost a second-round war of attrition against Indiana.
The offseason: If the Anunoby trade marked the end of the front office’s patient, build-from-within phase, the Bridges and Towns trades marked the beginning of the all-in era. New York sacrificed some depth to put together a supercharged starting five, and it could do that in part because it signed its franchise player to an extension that seems almost unfair. In the draft, it might have found an immediate rotation player (Tyler Kolek) with the No. 34 pick, if summer league is any indication.
Best case for 2024-25: Towns plays the best defense of his career, and, along with Bridges, lessens Brunson’s previously insane playmaking load; despite the fact that they have way more firepower, the Knicks’ retain their Thibodeauian ethos, nailing all the little things and proving themselves worthy of their first championship since 1973 (and Clyde Frazier’s most inspired wordplay).
Worst case 2024-25: Towns improves New York’s spacing, but his presence marginalizes Bridges and Anunoby on offense and limits the team’s ceiling on the other end; when the team loses in the second round, it feels a thousand times worse than it did last time, with fans divided on whether Thibodeau or Rose is more to blame.
The conversation
Knicks believer: First, they get OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, two players every team in the league wanted to trade for. Then they get Karl-Anthony Towns to fill their gaping hole at center. Do Knicks fans appreciate the work this front office has done in 2024? They should all be on cloud nine! It’s strange how muted the reaction has been to the Towns trade in particular — don’t we all remember what ex-Knick Kristaps Porzingis did for Boston? Towns is even better than Porzingis, and this team is going to be unguardable.
Knicks skeptic: Better than Porzingis in what context? On this team, wouldn’t you rather have KP? You’d lose a bit of isolation scoring, I guess, but you’d more than make up for it with rim protection and general defensive aptitude. This brings me to my take on the Towns trade: in an effort to fill a (temporary) hole, they’ve prematurely pivoted away from a team that could have been elite on both ends, giving up one of the league’s most valuable role players in the process. I loved DiVincenzo! Didn’t you?
Knicks believer: We can call DDV’s one season in NYC the Short n’ Sweet Tour. I’ll miss him, and it’s a shame he was separated from his college buddies. But let’s be honest: This year, there was no way he was going to get the playing time or the featured role that he earned last season. Please remember that his big breakout happened when Randle and Anunoby were both hurt and Bridges was in Brooklyn.
The new roster made him expendable, and since his value was at its peak, it was the right time for a trade. I’m happy for him though, as the Wolves need his shooting and he’ll be celebrated at the Garden for the rest of his career. (And let’s not criticize Towns’ defense until you watch the Denver-Minnesota series).
Knicks skeptic: Thibs talked about starting him on the opposing team’s primary ballhandler, so he wasn’t superfluous. Trading him for a big like Towns may seem logical, but it might not be the best move. Towns doesn’t excel in some defensive schemes, and giving up a valuable wing to convert a forward to a center may not pay off.
Knicks believer: Towns’ skills on offense are undeniable, and his presence will elevate the team. The roster may be top-heavy, but with the right rotations, it can be effective. The front office’s recent moves may be risky, but the potential of the team is exciting. The depth and complementarity of the players can lead to success.
Knicks skeptic: The trades are risky, as they are banking on Towns’ performance and several smaller factors falling into place. The team is making bets on various players and scenarios, which adds uncertainty. The focus on potential playoff matchups against strong teams like Boston, Philly, and Milwaukee is concerning. The risk involved in these moves makes me uneasy. Instead of focusing on the nitpicking, let’s shift our perspective and step into Rose’s shoes. What would you have done differently with the roster? Would you have kept the team as is, excluding Hartenstein? Would you have passed on the Bridges trade, potentially impacting the chance of getting Brunson to agree to an extension? Would you have offered Randle a lucrative, long-term deal? Or would you have held out for a better deal for Randle before the trade deadline? What if you had taken no action and the season started off poorly? Can you see the risk in not taking a more aggressive approach? It’s important to note that the Knicks had limited roster spots available due to potential sign-and-trade deals, like the rumored Towns trade, which required immediate action before the start of the season.
On the other hand, as a Knicks skeptic, it’s disappointing to see the front office dismantle a beloved team, removing the possibility of another season filled with positivity. The concern isn’t just about the matchup against the Celtics but also how the team’s overall performance will be affected. Expectations play a significant role in the NBA, and the joy of witnessing the Knicks’ resurgence seems to have come to an end.