NBA
Knicks Named Top 5 Most Improved Team
The New York Knicks are eyeing the top spot in the Eastern Conference for the 2024-25 season, and they have made some moves in order to try and get them there in the offseason.
Trading for Mikal Bridges and re-signing OG Anunoby and Jalen Brunson are signs that the Knicks are ready to compete in the upcoming season.
Bleacher Report writer Greg Swartz believes that the Knicks are one of the five most improved teams this offseason.
“We saw glimpses of what this team could become, as the three-man unit of Brunson, [Julius] Randle and Anunoby registered a net rating of plus-26.1 (100th percentile, via Cleaning the Glass) in their 582 possessions together,” Swartz writes. “Losing Isaiah Hartenstein hurts, although getting Bridges, re-signing Anunoby and adding some nice pieces around the edges will have the Knicks competing for the No. 1 spot in the East.”
The Knicks’ biggest enemy for the upcoming season may be themselves. They will have to adjust to their new pieces and to life without Hartenstein, but there’s reason to believe the learning curve may not be so steep. Bridges played with Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo in college while Mitchell Robinson is the longest-tenured member of the roster. It isn’t like these players have to start from scratch to learn how to play with one another.
On top of that, injuries slowed the Knicks down tremendously last season. Even in a year where they lost Randle in the middle of the season and only had Anunoby for about a quarter of their regular season games, they still managed to win 50 games. If they find a way to stay healthy, that number could be a lot higher.
Of course, the Boston Celtics are probably the biggest external challenge for the Knicks, but there hasn’t been a repeat champion since 2017-18, so they could be due for a slide down the standings.
Ultimately, the Knicks are doing almost everything in their power to be the best version of themselves for the upcoming season.
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