The 2023-24 NBA season ended on a sour note for the New York Knicks. All of the hard work they put in during the regular season and a grueling first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers came to a screeching halt against the Indiana Pacers.
In their Eastern Conference semifinal, which they led 2-0, the New York Knicks were eventually beaten in seven games. They left it all on the court, but injuries became too much to overcome as they were without several key contributors.
Julius Randle has been sidelined since January 27th with a shoulder injury. Bojan Bogdanovic and Mitchell Robinson were injured against the 76ers and were out for the remainder of the playoffs. OG Anunoby suffered a hamstring pull in Game 2 against the Pacers. Josh Hart had an abdominal strain in Game 6 against Indiana.
The final blow, in the waning minutes of Game 7 at Madison Square Garden, was Jalen Brunson fracturing his hand. Had the New York Knicks even advanced to face the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, it would have been with an injury list longer than their active roster.
Heading into the 2024 NBA offseason, health is the biggest need for the team. Plenty of questions remain about their roster as well, as key players will be free agents. Alas, despite those concerns, the team’s outlook is very good.
Over at ESPN, they released their way-too-early power rankings hours after the Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks for their 18th championship. Near the top of those rankings are the New York Knicks, who came in at No. 6.
“New York had a tremendous season, but the questions this offseason will revolve around if it can repeat that same level of success with the same roster. Hartenstein was a revelation as the team’s starting center after Mitchell Robinson went down with an ankle injury, but he might have played himself out of New York’s price range (the Knicks are limited to Early Bird rights) as a result. The team’s two All-Stars, Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle, are both extension eligible, and coach Tom Thibodeau also should be signing one this summer to keep himself in New York long term,” wrote Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
There are avenues for this team to improve this offseason. Leon Rose has done an excellent job of stacking tradeable contracts and draft capital. If there is a blockbuster trade to be made, they can pull it off.
But, the New York Knicks could be better off just running it back and hoping for better health luck. With Jalen Brunson, Anunoby and Randle in the lineup for four weeks, the Knicks were the best team in the NBA.
While the sample size isn’t gigantic, it cannot be ignored. Some improvements on the fringes, such as end-of-bench depth, and this team will be back competing for a top spot in the Eastern Conference in the 2024-25 season.
Do you want the latest news, updates, and rumors surrounding all sports? Click here. Make sure to check out our sister sites as well: NFL Analysis Network, NBA Analysis Network, Packers Coverage.
