Welcome to IAI Sports! And welcome to the 2022-23 NBA Season!
To begin the season, we will be running through each NBA team and analysing what they’ve done throughout the off-season. Each article will start off with an introduction, telling a story of how this team is where they are at today. We quickly delve into the results of the 2021-2022 NBA season, before diving into the off-season in’s and out’s.
From there, we go into depth discussing some of the important rotation pieces for the upcoming season, before finishing with a quick analysis of a team’s win totals and a full conclusion of why this team has completed these moves, what their win total will be, and my own predictions of breakout players and what to expect from this team. It’s a season preview series with the purpose of getting you up-to-date with what has happened throughout the league.
A season preview of each of the 30 teams will be released, leading up to the beginning of the NBA season. All data and information included in these articles have been gathered from Basketball Reference, NBA.com and ESPN.
Today’s team is the New York Knicks – one of the most popular franchises in the NBA.
Introduction
The New York Knicks are a franchise that demands success. Always. In one of the biggest markets in the United States, the team has provided some of the most iconic line-ups in NBA history. From Walt Frazier and Willis Reed combining to win two championships in the 1970s, to the Patrick Ewing-led dynasty that helped the Knicks reach 14 consecutive playoffs with two NBA Finals appearances. The Knicks have had their fair share of historical success, just not lately.
Since that glorious run of 14 consecutive playoff appearances, the Knicks have made the playoffs 5 times in 21 seasons. Only once have they gotten through to the 2nd round. It’s been dire and heartbreaking for a once powerhouse to consistently struggle and not reach their full potential – even when trotting out some really solid teams.
That aforementioned 2nd round playoff berth was led by superstar Carmelo Anthony. After acquiring him in a trade with the Denver Nuggets at the 2011 trade deadline, he formed a squad that consisted of Amar’e Stoudamire, Tyson Chandler, Jason Kidd, Iman Shumpert and JR Smith, beating out the Boston Celtics in the 1st round, before losing to the Paul George-led Indiana Pacers in 6 games.
Following that playoff run, the Knicks wouldn’t get back to the playoffs until the 2021 season. The team struggled to find healthy complementary pieces to partner with Anthony for a variety of reasons. The trade to acquire Anthony cost the Knicks a lot of assets to get him to New York. In other trades, they wasted a 1st round pick to bring in Andrea Bargnani, and swapped good rotation players for veterans past their prime. It was these narrow-minded moves that drew potential free agents away from signing with the team, missing out on the likes of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh in 2010, DeAndre Jordan and LaMarcus Aldridge in 2015, and Kevin Durant in 2016.
Once Carmelo Anthony agreed to waive his no-trade clause and get sent to the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2017 off-season, and the Knicks drafted and moved on from Kristaps Porzingis, the team was left to rebuild once again. By the beginning of the 2021 season, the Knicks had a young core of Julius Randle, RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson, supported by veterans such as Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson and Reggie Bullock, all led by head coach Tom Thibodeau. This team shocked the league by breaking their playoff drought and getting to a record of 41-31, the 4th best record in the Eastern Conference. They ultimately lost in the 1st round to the Atlanta Hawks, but this one season of success gave Knicks fans hope for the first time in years.
Last Season
Before the 2022 season, the Knicks made some free agency acquisitions to shore up their position in the Eastern Conference hierarchy. They brought in Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier from the Boston Celtics to come in and start for the team. The Knicks were banking on Julius Randle and RJ Barrett to continue their excellent form from the previous season and get the team consecutive playoff appearances.
It wasn’t to be for the Knicks. The team found out early on that the Kemba Walker experiment failed to produce the desired results, while Evan Fournier started the season on fire, but wasn’t able to maintain. The Knicks reach the halfway point with a record of 21-21, 11th in the Eastern Conference and struggling to gain momentum. Randle and Barrett couldn’t match the heroics of 2021, both struggling with efficiency and the leadership of this Knicks team. As a result, they deteriorated to a record of 4-17, killing any chance of making the playoffs and finishing the season with a record of 37-45 and an 11th place finish in the Eastern Conference, missing out on participating in the play-in tournament. They remained a really strong defensive team (11th in defensive efficiency), but really struggled offensively (23rd in offensive efficiency).
Off-Season
Ins:
Trevor Keels (42nd pick, NBA draft)
Jalen Brunson (free agency, originally with Dallas Mavericks)
Isaiah Hartenstein (free agency, originally with LA Clippers)
Svi Mykhailiuk (free agency, originally with Toronto Raptors)
Outs:
Kemba Walker (trade with Detroit Pistons)
Nerlens Noel (trade with Detroit Pistons)
Alec Burks (trade with Detroit Pistons)
Taj Gibson (free agent, moved to Washington Wizards)
Ryan Arcidiacono (free agent)
It was a very busy draft night for the Knicks – albeit without selecting anyone inside the 1st round. Originally with the 11th overall selection, they used the pick to gather future 1st round picks from the Oklahoma City Thunder, of which some were used to entice the Detroit Pistons to dump the Knicks’ unwanted contracts. The removal of those unwanted contracts was to free up cap space to sign Jalen Brunson from the Dallas Mavericks. They were also able to sign Isaiah Hartenstein to help the bench unit.
Those aforementioned bad contracts included Kemba Walker, Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel, who were all shipped to Detroit. Taj Gibson was on a non-guaranteed contract and was promptly waived to free up even more cap room for Brunson and Hartenstein. Ryan Arcidiacono was an end-of-bench piece, while Feron Hunt was a two-way player, and both were not offered another contract.
2022-23 Roster
Starting Five
PG – Jalen Brunson
| H: 6’1″ | W: 190lbs | Age: 26 |
| Contract: 4 yr/$104m | Years Pro: 4 |
Career Averages:
11.9 pts, 3.0 reb, 3.7 asts, 0.6 stls, 0.0 blks, 1.3 to, 49.4%/37.3%/80.0%, 24.7 mins
Averages Last Season:
16.3 pts, 3.9 reb, 4.8 asts, 0.8 stls, 0.0 blks, 1.6 to, 50.2%/37.3%/84.0%, 31.9 mins
2022-23 Projections:
14.4 pts, 3.7 reb, 4.2 asts, 0.7 stls, 0.1 blks, 1.4 to, 50.7%/38.3%/82.7%
Before last season, Jalen Brunson had always been a back-up PG. With an injury to Tim Hardaway Jr, Brunson went into the Mavericks starting line-up, where he thrived and had a career year as an undersized scorer. For someone standing 6’1” to shot 50.2% from the field is extraordinary, making his money from a league-best floater and elite scoring ability at 3-to-10 feet from the basket. His breakout during last season’s playoffs helped him score a 4 year, $104m contract with the New York Knicks.
SG – Evan Fournier
| H: 6’7″ | W: 205lbs | Age: 29 |
| Contract: 2 yr/$36.6m | Years Pro: 10 |
Career Averages:
14.3 pts, 2.7 reb, 2.6 asts, 0.9 stls, 0.2 blks, 1.6 to, 44.5%/38.1%/79.8%, 28.6 mins
Averages Last Season:
14.1 pts, 2.6 reb, 2.1 asts, 1.0 stls, 0.3 blks, 1.3 to, 41.7%/38.9%/70.8%, 29.5 mins
2022-23 Projections:
14.6 pts, 2.7 reb, 2.4 asts, 1.0 stls, 0.3 blks, 1.5 to, 42.9%/39.1%/75.2%
Evan Fournier has always been a solid starting option in the NBA. He has been able to make a living from shooting the 3-ball at an above-average level (38.1% for career). In his first season with the Knicks, Fournier saw a small drop in his efficiencies from field goal and the free throw line. He will play a crucial role in spacing the floor for Brunson and Randle to attack the mid-range this upcoming season.
SF - RJ Barrett
| H: 6’6″ | W: 214lbs | Age: 22 |
| Contract: 5 yr/$130.9m | Years Pro: 3 |
Career Averages:
17.5 pts, 5.6 reb, 2.9 asts, 0.8 stls, 0.3 blks, 2.1 to, 41.8%/35.7%/67.9%, 33.5 mins
Averages Last Season:
20.0 pts, 5.8 reb, 3.0 asts, 0.6 stls, 0.2 blks, 2.2 to, 40.8%/34.2%/71.4%, 34.5 mins
2022-23 Projections:
19.0 pts, 5.9 reb, 3.0 asts, 0.7 stls, 0.3 blks, 2.0 to, 43.0%/36.7%/72.6%
A former 3rd overall selection, RJ Barrett has shown glimpses of becoming a borderline All-Star, particularly in his sophomore season, where he started to trend upward in key offensive statistical categories (field goal – 44.1%, 3-point – 40.1% on 4.3 attempts). However, despite an increase in points per game, the percentages took a real hit (40.8% and 34.2% last season). If Barrett can keep the volume of shots with the percentages of his sophomore season, he could become a serious breakout candidate.
PF - Julius Randle
| H: 6’8″ | W: 250lbs | Age: 27 |
| Contract: 3 yr/$77.1m | Years Pro: 8 |
Career Averages:
17.7 pts, 9.3 reb, 3.6 asts, 0.7 stls, 0.5 blks, 2.7 to, 47.2%/33.2%/74.3%, 31.2 mins
Averages Last Season:
20.1 pts, 9.9 reb, 5.1 asts, 0.7 stls, 0.5 blks, 3.4 to, 41.1%/30.8%/75.6%, 35.3 mins
2022-23 Projections:
19.6 pts, 9.1 reb, 4.8 asts, 0.7 stls, 0.5 blks, 3.0 to, 43.0%/33.9%/77.1%
The reason for the Knicks’ success in 2021 was the breakout from Julius Randle. In that season, he became an All-Star for the first time, won Most Improved Player, selected into the All-NBA Second team and led the franchise in most statistical categories. Last season though, was very disappointing. His percentages plummeted (field goal – 45.6 vs 41.1%, 3-point – 41.1% vs 30.8%, free throw – 81.1% vs 75.6%), resulting in his counting stats to also fall. If the Knicks have any chance of getting back to the heights of 2021, Randle has to recapture some of that All-Star form.
C - Mitchell Robinson
| H: 7’0″ | W: 240lbs | Age: 24 |
| Contract: 4 yr/$60m | Years Pro: 4 |
Career Averages:
8.4 pts, 7.5 reb, 0.6 asts, 0.9 stls, 2.0 blks, 0.7 to, 72.2%/0.0%/54.0%, 23.8 mins
Averages Last Season:
8.5 pts, 8.6 reb, 0.5 asts, 0.8 stls, 1.8 blks, 0.8 to, 76.1%/0.0%/48.6%, 25.7 mins
2022-23 Projections:
8.6 pts, 7.9 reb, 0.7 asts, 0.8 stls, 1.7 blks, 0.8 to, 71.5%/0.0%/52.1%
Standing 7’0” with a 7’4” wingspan, Mitchell Robinson is the definition of a rim-running Centre. Highly efficient scoring from the paint thanks to dunks and lobs, and physical presence on the defensive end due to his rim protection, Robinson does his role in limited minutes, mainly due to his compulsive nature to pick up fouls. He missed over half of the 2021 season due to injury, and started the majority of games in 2022 for the first time in his career.
Backups
G - Derrick Rose
| H: 6’2″ | W: 200lbs | Age: 33 |
| Contract: 1 yr/$14.5m | Years Pro: 13 |
Derrick Rose’s career resurgence is complete. A former #1 pick, 3-time All-Star and the youngest MVP ever, knee injuries took away his otherworldly athleticism, resulting in a massive drop in his efficiency. But since turning into a 6th man, he has worked into being an above-average 3-point shooter, while maintaining his handles and playmaking. He has struggled to stay on the court in his year and a half with the Knicks.
G - Immanual Quickley
| H: 6’3″ | W: 190lbs | Age: 23 |
| Contract: 2 yr/$6.5m (RC) | Years Pro: 2 |
Immanual Quickley was an important part of the Knicks rotation last season. He is being developed as Rose’s protégé and future 6th man, and brings athleticism and a spark off the bench defensively. While still developing as a scorer, Quickley saw an uptick in his assist numbers (2.0 in his rookie season vs 3.5 last season).
G - Quentin Grimes
| H: 6’5″ | W: 205lbs | Age: 22 |
| Contract: 3 yr/$9.0m (RC) | Years Pro: 1 |
Only playing half of his rookie season, Quentin Grimes showed signs of being a future go-to scorer for this Knicks franchise. He played predominantly through the middle of the season, as the team went through roster availability issues thanks to COVID. He almost exclusively shot from the 3-point range, scoring them at a 38.1% clip last season. Watch for him to become more involved in the rotation this upcoming season.
F - Obi Toppin
| H: 6’9″ | W: 220lbs | Age: 24 |
| Contract: 2 yr/$12.1m (RC) | Years Pro: 2 |
The 2022 NBA Dunk Contest champion, Obi Toppin progressed to be a reliable rotation player in his 2nd season in the league. While he doesn’t provide much in terms of floor spacing, he brings high energy and improved interior scoring (49.8% on 3.4 attempts from the field during his rookie season vs 53.1% on 6.6 attempts last season). Despite not showing huge individual defensive numbers, Toppin has started to understand the defensive system better under Thibodeau.
C - Isaiah Hartenstein
| H: 7’0″ | W: 250lbs | Age: 24 |
| Contract: 2 yr/$16m | Years Pro: 4 |
A perennial 3rd string back up big man in his first three seasons, Isaiah Hartenstein arrived at the Clippers and won the back-up role to Ivica Zubac. He provided important minutes to the Clipper bench, showing some playmaking ability (2.4 assists per game last season). Hartenstein shot the ball inside at an elite level (62.6% from the field, 64% from exclusively the 2-point range). After having such a breakout season, signed a 2-year deal with the Knicks to battle with Robinson for the starting Centre job.
The Rest
11. Jericho Sims (PF/C)
12. Cam Reddish (SG/SF)
13. Miles McBride (PG)
14. Svi Mykhailiuk (SG)
15.
T-W. Trevor Keels (SG)
T-W.
Season Projections
Sports betting agencies currently have the New York Knicks win totals sitting at 38.5 wins, 10th best in the Eastern Conference. The way the East is looking is that there are 9 teams that are all capable of going deep into the playoffs. The Knicks are not one of those teams, but a team that will be competing for the final play-in spot for the playoffs.
Conclusion
The New York Knicks are a franchise desperate for consistent and long-lasting success. After such a successful season in 2021, finishing as the 11th seed and being out of the play-in tournament by 6 games in 2022 was not what the team, or their fans were expecting or wanting to see.
The team used this past off-season to fix the issues that stopped the team from making consecutive playoff appearances. Swapping Kemba Walker for Jalen Brunson is a great move, for both the now and the future. Walker did not live up to his previous All-Star level of play, struggling to score at an efficient clip. Brunson, during that Mavericks playoff run, showed elite scoring ability from inside the arc and stepped up when the Mavericks needed it the most while Luka Doncic missed time to injury.
The rest of the off-season was spent fixing their cap situation and opening up the rotation for the Knicks’ youngsters to play and contribute more to the team. Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel were worthy servants for this franchise, but giving more minutes to Quentin Grimes, Immanual Quickley and Obi Toppin should become a priority if the Knicks are going to return to relevance. I love the swap of Noel for Isaiah Hartenstein, purely because of the upside Hartenstein has to be a quality starting Centre in the NBA. The Centre battle between him and Mitchell Robinson will be interesting to see throughout pre-season.
Tom Thibodeau was able to bring success back to the Knicks franchise through his preference to lock in on the defensive end. He does this by opting for rotation players who prioritise the defensive side of the ball. As a result, the Knicks of 2021 had the 4th most-efficient defence in the entire league. This previous season saw a drop off to the 11th ranked defence, still good, but it was the main reason for the Knicks decline. Coupled with an offence that was far more inefficient, and it’s clear why the Knicks couldn’t achieve back-to-back playoff appearances.
To put it lightly, the Knicks must improve on both sides of the ball. Offensively, they will never be close to above average in the league, due to the personnel and coaching philosophy of Thibodeau. But they were able to have success in 2021 by shooting the ball efficiently and making the most of each possession. Looking ahead, it is going to be a huge year for both RJ Barrett and Julius Randle. Both suffered immense drop offs in shooting efficiency and are now locked in on long term contracts with the team. They have to return to the form of 2021, to support Brunson and his scoring prowess, if the Knicks have any chance of defying the odds and getting back to the playoffs.
It’s funny how the smallest changes defensively can have such a dramatic impact on the overall performance of a squad. If the Knicks have any chance of having a successful season, they have to stand out from the rest of the league defensively. I just don’t know where that improvement will come from. Brunson isn’t elite on the defensive end, while Evan Fournier was league-average. Barrett and Randle will have to show improvement, to combine with Robinson on the front court to support the defensively-deficient back court of Brunson and Fournier.
In acquiring Brunson, the Knicks should fix some of their efficiency issues on the offensive end. It remains to be seen if Brunson can match the level of output he showed during the 1st round of last season’s playoffs, but if it works out, this Knicks team should be a middle-of-the-pack offensive unit. I just don’t believe that Barrett and Randle can shoot as efficiently as they did during the 2021 season, which limits the upside of the Knicks. Having an off-season of continuity should help the Knicks ascend back up the defensive rankings, but I don’t see them returning to the top 5 level of their 2021 playoff ascension.
Coupled with teams such as the Hawks, Cavaliers and 76ers improving substantially, the Knicks will be outside the group of Eastern Conference contenders. I’m predicting this team will win 35 games and battle with the Washington Wizards for the final spot in the play-in tournament. Other than Robinson defensively, the rest of the starting core are average on either side of the ball, and I can’t see anyone improving massively to help the Knicks overcome some of the other stronger teams in the Eastern Conference. In saying this, I believe Barrett is primed for a breakout season, while the young bench unit of Rose, Quickley, Grimes, Toppin and Hartenstein will form one of the better benches in the NBA.