The New York Knicks gave everyone a season to remember. But even with their impressive season, there is still work to be done.
What. A. Season.
The New York Knicks gave the fans and the league a year to remember. To start us off, let’s run through some of the Knicks’ highlights and accomplishments from this season:
- Drafted Obi Toppin 8th overall (National College Player of the Year)
- Drafted Immanuel Quickley 25th overall (steal of the draft)
- Maneuvered the draft and free agency to acquire multiple second-round picks (the LA Clippers 2023 second-rounder & two 2023 second-rounders from the Utah Jazz)
- Had a winning preseason record (3-1)
- Started the season with a win/loss record of 5-3
- Swindled the Detroit Pistons by trading Dennis Smith Jr. and the Hornets second-rounder (and a bag of chips) for Derrick Rose
- Julius Randle was selected to his first NBA All-Star and competed in the Skills Competition
- Maneuvered the trade deadline to acquire more draft capital (either the Philadelphia 76ers or Houston Rockets 2021 second-rounder & the Miami Heat’s 2024 second-rounder)
- They went on a nine-game win streak
- Finished with a win/loss record of 3-3 on a difficult west coast trip
- Closed out the season on a three-game winning streak to secure the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference
- They won 41 games
- Ranked fourth in team defense (107.8 defensive rating)
- Ranked third in team three-point percentage (39.2 3P%)
- Hosted their first-round matchup since the 2012-13 season
- Derrick Rose was a top three Sixth Man of the Year candidate
- Randle won Most Improved Player of the Year
- Tom Thibodeau won NBA Coach of the Year
- Randle finished eighth in Most Valuable Player voting
- Knicks maintained cap flexibility — potentially $60 million in cap space this upcoming offseason
In sum, the Knicks had multiple accomplishments in one season after being regarded as one of the worst teams in the NBA last year (or for the eight previous seasons, if we are keeping it real).
Now don’t get me wrong, as spectacular as the season was, there were points of disappointment. To name a few:
- Losing Mitchell Robinson to two different injuries during the season (fracturing his wrist and foot)
- Inconsistent point guard play
- Limited offensive creativity
- Frustrating losses to lesser teams (the second Timberwolves & first Mavericks games still sticks with me)
- Little production from Toppin to start the season
- Lack of growth from Kevin Knox, Frank Ntilikina, & Dennis Smith Jr.
Still, even with the imperfections, this year was nothing less than magical considering they were predicted to be in the basement at the start of the season.
So as the Knicks 2020-21 season comes to a close, the franchise’s front office and fans should be encouraged that a foundation has been set for future success.
The New York Knicks have to build on their success
But now comes the tricky part. How does the team build on top of their quick success and meet the high expectations? Everyone from the front office, to the coaching staff, and the players have to be synchronized in how the team continues forward.
That means Leon Rose & company must keep the books intact while adding the star power and complementary pieces necessary to take this team to the next level (whether through the draft or free agency). Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, Quickley, and everyone else who is still part of this roster need to improve their games and prepare for another grueling season. Tom Thibodeau and the coaching staff have to come back and adjust to make a deeper run in the playoffs (and potentially win a championship at some point).
Rome wasn’t built in a day. Just think back to homegrown teams that have either won the championship or have had constant success (consistent playoff berths). There are many teams that built through the draft (and drafted well), made savvy moves during free agency or via trade that didn’t break the bank (in money or draft capital) while still improving every season and making a deeper and deeper playoff run every following year. The Golden State Warriors (Stephen Curry era), San Antonio Spurs (Tim Duncan era), Toronto Raptors (Kyle Lowry era), Milwaukee Bucks (Giannis Antetokounmpo era), and Boston Celtics (Danny Ainge’s tenure), all developed methodically over the course of a few seasons.
Why didn’t I add the Brooklyn Nets and LA Clippers to the list? These teams went with a short-sighted view by mortgaging their future for a win-now scenario rather than maintaining sustainable success. Just look what happened once LeBron James left the Cavaliers and how they’re still nowhere close to competing for another playoff appearance alone.
Teams that push their chips in for instant gratification have bad team payrolls, little draft capital, and poorly constructed rosters for a minimum of three years after their top-tiered talent leaves for another destination – expect this scenario to happen to the Clippers and Nets.
The Knicks are currently in a good situation where they have foundational pieces in Randle, Barrett, and Quickley (and maybe Robinson), significant cap space, and draft capital to make the correct draft picks or trade for a player.
They have raised the bar and showed the league (and long-time fans) that they finally have a bright path ahead. Even though their playoff appearance was a disappointment, the fact that they exceeded expectations the way they did outweighs their poor performance.
Randle emphatically stated, “WE HERE!” The New York Knicks are certainly here, but there is still work to be done.
