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We’re nearing a month into the 2024-25 NBA season and the Knicks are still finding their footing. New York is 4-5 thus far with a couple standout wins among head-scratching losses, a mixed bag of results that should solidify as the season progresses.
Though it’s a small sample size, these few games have shined some light on this new-look squad and given their front office and fans some things to consider as the year heats up. Here are four early-season takeaways on the Knicks:
Work-in-progress
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, but trading two key starters for an All-Star bringing a less-than-familiar skillset the day before training camp will naturally bring an adjustment period with it. Fans hoped the team would gel sooner rather than later, but if one thing is evident thus far, it’s that these Knicks are a work in progress.
They’ve yet to coalesce around a tangible identity, not defending or controlling the possession game like their last two iterations, but not pumping up the pace and three-point volume behind their robust offense either. Guys appear to understand their roles, but still fall victim to miscommunication and other expected speed bumps in building chemistry.
All of this was expected, but patience can wear thin given their expectations and caliber of talent, and at some point the front office will need to decide if their idealized version of this squad is a couple tweaks or a whole shakeup away from being realized. Ultimately, they will be judged on the Knicks’ wins and losses in April and beyond as opposed to these, but tangible progress will ideally be made sooner rather than later.
Karl-Anthony Towns is a generational offensive talent
The preferred return on the Julius Randle-Towns trade is an NBA championship, but in the meantime fans can rejoice in the Knicks acquiring a truly special scorer that stands out even against this franchise’s rich history. Towns is averaging 24.9 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists on 53.2 percent shooting from two, 53.7 percent from three and 87.5 percent from the free throw stripe.
Those efficiency numbers, especially from three, are almost unmatched…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/4-early-knicks-takeaways-2024-012019321.html
Author : SNY
Publish date : 2024-11-12 01:20:00
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