Knicks 2024-25 season preview and prediction

This time last year, the Knicks were coming off a competitive second-round exit — just like they are now. They had decided to largely maintain their core rotation, betting on internal growth and sustained chemistry to carry them to new heights.

Now, three blockbuster trades later, New York has made it clear that nearly anybody is expendable in pursuit of the franchise’s first championship in more than 50 years — and that is the singular goal they’re striving towards.

Even after a dominant 14-2 January in which the Knicks ran roughshod over the league and a postseason that saw them fall one game short of the Eastern Conference Finals with a half-healthy roster, Leon Rose and company saw the opportunity to improve this team further, and went for it.

They traded their accumulated stockpile of draft capital for Mikal Bridges, then moved the player who led this rebuild from the beginning — Julius Randle — in a deal for Karl-Anthony Towns.

The hope for New York is that these massive swings will yield its best results in years.

They cost them some institutional knowledge and depth, but no cost is too large for a championship — if they deliver.

Oct 13, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) shoots the ball during the first half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / © Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Rose gambit

Here is the championship case for the 2024-25 Knicks:

Jalen Brunson is a certified superstar, one worth building an entire offense around and carrying said unit through the ups and downs of the regular season and playoffs. This is likely the safest assumption to make about this team after Brunson averaged 32.4 points and 7.5 assists in the 2024 postseason, hitting marks untouched since Michael Jordan, thanks to four consecutive 40-point games.

The Towns trade was partly a double down on Brunson’s stardom, pairing him with one of the most dynamic offensive big men in the game and, more importantly, a center who can stretch the floor and offer him more avenues to work than before. Although it was…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/knicks-2024-25-season-preview-160000998.html

Author : SNY

Publish date : 2024-10-21 16:00:00

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