The New York Knicks have high expectations for next season after making the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Furthermore, they have made some major changes to an already stacked roster as they look to go all-in with this current core.
Knicks rank No. 2 in Eastern Conference power rankings
For that, NBA.com’s John Schuhmann ranked New York No. 2 in his Eastern Conference power rankings, with the Cleveland Cavaliers being the only team in front of them.
“New York has bigger issues on defense, and Brown will surely try to elicit better pick-and-roll defense from Karl-Anthony Towns. But the offense did see a bigger-than-average drop-off from the regular season to the playoffs, when the Knicks ranked 13th (of 16 teams) in the percentage of their 3-point attempts (63%) that were off the catch and 15th in the percentage (36%) that were wide open. They had some success with more ball movement during Brunson’s 15-game absence late in the regular season and more movement with him on the floor should get him some easier shots,” Schuhmann wrote.
The Knicks made several changes that are sure to shake up the way they play the game. They replaced Tom Thibodeau with Mike Brown taking over as head coach, and they enhanced their bench depth by adding Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele through free agency.
In addition, they still have their top players from last season and will be once again led by their two All-Stars, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. The team now has much more scoring depth than last season and is expected to be a much more cohesive unit now that they have a season of action together.
The Knicks will have a lot to prove next season
The key for them to succeed next season will be addressing their flaws from last season, most notably their paint defense and scoring in the second unit.
For the Knicks to earn true respect in the league, though, they will need to prove that they are worthy of being in the title contenders conversation. The Oklahoma City Thunder are the defending champions and dominated all through the regular season and playoffs, so the Knicks would have to do the same to gain respect.
Nevertheless, their expectations are the highest they have ever been, and they will try to exceed those expectations by making a run for the title next season.
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