11 bold New York Knicks predictions for this season | Sporting News

The New York Knicks are back!

After a long, wild offseason that saw the Knicks reshape their roster with two blockbuster trades, they return to action on Tuesday to tip off the NBA season against the Boston Celtics.

The Knicks enter this season with ambitions of contending for a championship. Before they get there, though, they have 82 games to play and some serious issues to address, like getting the revamped starting five acclimated, figuring out their bench rotation, and potentially figuring how to fix the team’s questionable center and wing depth.

Ahead of the start of the campaign, we’re making 11 bold predictions for this Knicks season. These aren’t based off any of our own reporting — just bold predictions based on public information  and our own gut feeling.

1. Jalen Brunson will average a career-high in assists.

Brunson has averaged slightly over six assists per game in two seasons with the Knicks. That number will go up this year. Brunson is surrounded by better finishers this year in Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges. There should be ample space for Brunson to operate. Defenses that send help to Brunson will leave shooters and cutters open. Brunson also knows this Knicks team needs to jell and get comfortable with one another. Ever the leader, Brunson will take it upon himself to get his teammates involved, get the ball moving, and try to push the offense forward.

2. Jalen Brunson will score 60 points — in a win.

Brunson dropped an incredible 61 points against the San Antonio Spurs last season, but he was outduelled by Victor Wembanyama in a disappointing loss for the Knicks. It’s hard to rank the electric display highly in Knicks history when it didn’t result in a win.

Brunson will get back there again this season, but this time, the Knicks will win the game.

3. OG Anunoby will play over 65 games and make an All-Defensive Team.

Anunoby frequently misses time with injuries, but injuries can be dumb luck. Anunoby will surely miss some games this year, but we’re betting the versatile, $212 million forward will play enough games to make an All-Defensive Team (his first since 2022-23). The Knicks will task Anunoby with plenty of defensive responsibility to make him a worthy candidate.

4. Tom Thibodeau will experiment with starting Miles McBride over Josh Hart.

Some Knicks fans have already called for McBride to start over Hart to add even more shooting to the starting lineup. Starting McBride, who shot 40% from deep last year, and moving Hart to the bench would also artificially give the Knicks more depth, allowing the bigger Hart to come off the bench as a backup forward. Thibodeau could stagger the minutes among the Knicks’ top three wings (Hart, Anunoby, and Bridges). Hart has said he feels “lost” in the revamped starting five and even teased a move to the bench.

While it won’t happen right away, after 20 games or so, Thibodeau will eventually give this a look, especially if the Knicks offense is not clicking as anticipated (and it may take time for that to happen).

The Brunson-McBride back-court worked very well last season. Whether Thibodeau sticks with it or not, who knows. But he’ll give it a try.

5. Related: Josh Hart will be fine.

“I’m lost. I have no idea. There’s a couple days before Boston. So whether that’s trying to get a rhythm with that starting unit or we give somebody else a look and my role changes and comes off the bench and go with that unit.”

That was Hart a few days ago on his lackluster preseason.

We’re not denying that Hart feels this way, but Hart has a history of airing frustrations publicly. Early last season, Hart complained about struggling to find his rhythm while coming off the bench. Months later, when Hart was playing 40-plus minutes per night, racking up triple-doubles and helping the Knicks win, he complained about playing too many minutes.

This may not be bold, but Hart will be fine. He is the connector of this Knicks offense. He will play big minutes. Hart and the rest of the new pieces will find their comfort zone.

6. Precious Achiuwa will shoot over 33% from three.

After shooting 35% from three in 2021-22, Achiuwa has shot a combined 27% from three over the past three seasons.

Achiuwa shot 3-of-6 from three over five preseason games. If Achiuwa can become even a moderate threat from deep, even on low volume, it could be a huge boost to the Knicks offense. It could change the dynamic of double-bigs pairings. The Knicks seem to know that Achiuwa still has more to his game and will work with him to become a respectable outside threat.

7. The Knicks will be under .500 over their first 10 games and cause their fans to panic.

Over their first 10 contests, the Knicks play the Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers (twice), Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Miami Heat. They also play the Atlanta Hawks and Houston Rockets, both of whom might not be cake-walks this year. Seven of their first 10 games are on the road.

The Knicks are practically a new team trying to learn how to play together. Their depth is suspect. It’s very possible that they begin 4-6, which Knicks fans won’t take well.

The upside: After that grueling first 10 games, the Knicks then play four straight home games against the Chicago Bulls, Brooklyn Nets, and Washington Wizards. There will be an opportunity for a rebound.

8. Karl-Anthony Towns will make an odd postgame comment that puts him in the crosshairs of the media and fans by January.

We’ll admit this is a tough thing to track.

Towns can be unfairly criticized. He sometimes comes across the wrong way. But he is entering a much different media and fan environment than he was in in Minnesota. When even The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski — as fair and balanced of a reporter as there is, and a fan of Towns to boot — acknowledges that Towns’ adjustment to the New York atmosphere could take a while, it’s something to monitor.

Whether it’s a comment about his own play, his teammates, Thibodeau’s minutes or rotations, Towns will say something that draws the ire of fans and media, even if it’s short-lived.

9. The Knicks will make an in-season trade.

It’s hard to imagine that this Knicks roster will be the same come March. There are too many holes and question marks for a team this all-in. Their paths to trades are limited — they have few draft assets left and their most likely tradeable salaries are Mitchell Robinson ($14 million), Achiuwa ($6 million), and McBride ($4 million).

Whether it’s for a more seasoned, reliable big man or a backup wing who can provide more shooting and scoring, the Knicks will make at least a minor deal to round out the roster.

10. The Knicks will get an impactful player on the buyout market.

The Knicks figure to be a destination for buyout players. They’re a playoff team in New York City, with established stars and culture.

It’s worth wondering if more players will hit the buyout market as teams grapple with the first and second aprons.

Historically, buyout players don’t always have a huge impact on the playoff race. However, some do still make their new teams’ rotations and play a role. The Knicks will get a veteran to help bolster their bench for the playoff run.

11. The Knicks will go 53-29 — and lose in the second round.

Before the Towns trade, I thought there was a chance for a truly magical season — that everything could come together just right and the Knicks could win 57-58 games and make the Eastern Conference Finals. It would be a bet on their depth, chemistry, continuity, and rugged team personality.

The Towns trade certainly raises the Knicks’ ceiling. The Knicks could boast one of the best starting fives in the NBA, one that will get better as the season goes along. The offense could be humming by March.

But this current version of the roster has too many question marks. They are too thin on the wing; what happens if one of Hart, Bridges, or Anunoby misses significant time with an injury? Their bench is too thin; if McBride does not meaningfully improve, how will they score? Their center rotation has too many question marks. Can Towns provide enough rim protection? Is Achiuwa too small to play big center minutes? Can Sims be a viable backup? Robinson, at this rate, cannot be counted on.

Yes, we predicted the Knicks will address some of these issues with a trade and buyout player, but that doesn’t mean they’ll solve them. Midseason additions create another adjustment period for an already-remade roster. 

The Eastern Conference is deep and tough this year. The Celtics are running it back. The 76ers, Bucks, and Magic all got better. The Pacers and Cavs could get better because of continuity. The Heat will never die.

There’s also this: the Knicks are built to outlast their rivals. The top six of Brunson, Bridges, Anunoby, Hart, Towns, and McBride are locked in for at least two seasons (and maybe more if Bridges signs an extension next summer). The Celtics will soon be financially unsustainable, while the Bucks and Sixers are aging.

The Knicks will be very good this year. They’ll have a shot at a Conference Finals appearance. Teams won’t want to play them. But our guess is this is a group that will need a year of experience before they reach their ceiling.