An extremely gritty 2023-24 Knicks team far exceeded expectations, getting to 50 wins and landing the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. New York has made some massive additions in the offseason, but also lost some of that identity that helped them claw out such a good season. Not to mention, now that expectations are through the roof, the Knicks won’t be sneaking up on anybody this season. So is a 55-27 record a bit too lofty of a projection? Let’s break it down.
New York Knicks UNDER 54.5 Wins (-110) — 1.5-units
The Knicks made some huge splashes, bringing in Mikal Bridges from Brooklyn, and following it up by acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns from Minnesota just recently. No doubt, the Knicks upgraded in talent this offseason, not to mention they came to agreements on contracts to keep Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby around long-term. While the talent is great, are we sure that some of that toughness that was sacrificed isn’t going to change the identity of this team?
I don’t think Julius Randle was the answer for the Knicks, but that doesn’t mean Towns will be either. KAT has taken plenty of knocks for his toughness while in Minnesota, under a much dimmer spotlight. At the first sight of Towns showing weakness in New York, how will he respond? How will the fans respond? I’m not sold this is such a perfect fit.
The center that made this team go during its postseason run was Isaiah Hartenstein. Now with the Thunder, Harenstein is the perfect role player on a winning NBA team. He flirts with a double-double, makes all the hustle plays, and shot nearly 65% from the field last season. He will be sorely missed, and with players like Brunson, Hart and Bridges on the wings, Hartenstein provides more valuable needs than a player like Towns. Mitchell Robinson is still around, but will begin the season on the shelf for a couple of months with an injury.
While Bridges is a clear upgrade over Donte DiVincenzo, DiVincenzo did bring that dog mentality that New York is going to have just a bit less of this season. Don’t get me wrong, Brunson and Josh Hart still have plenty of that mindset, and this is going to be a very good team in the Eastern Conference.
However, adapting to the new core and losing the guys that did the dirty work makes it hard for me to see the Knicks improving by five games. The tough, gritty, underdog Knicks are no more. Now the spotlight is on and they are going to take everyone’s best shot. Look for this thing to take some time to come together in New York.
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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
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