The Knicks have had a rough time winning the past 10 years. In other words, they have been a terrible team since 2014 only making the playoffs four times, three of them being in the last four years. However, the current squad is slept on tremendously, constantly getting berated with hateful comments even though their success begs to differ. This team is led by head coach, Tom Thibodeau. Thibodeau is a defensive-minded coach whose brilliance has been on display since his tenure with the Knicks. In Thibodeau’s first year with the Knicks in 2020, he snapped a 6-year playoff drought. This brought life back to Madison Square Garden and all of New York. The Knicks were finally back. Even though they lost in the first round, a culture was finally beginning to be established. Unfortunately, they missed the playoffs the very next year. They planned to build around Julius Randle who joined the squad in 2019. Randle is a physical player who is an excellent finisher around the rim and a tenacious defender. In the 2022 off-season, they needed to make some acquisitions. Later, the Knicks would sign Jalen Brunson and Isiah Hartenstein. The average NBA fan wouldn't be familiar with these names. Fans expected a big name, a superstar at that. These players were far from being labeled a “superstar”. 

The 2022-2023 NBA season had begun and the Knicks were not expected to do well. But throughout the season they proved the critics wrong. They had a winning record going into the All-Star weekend. And they acquired Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson's former college teammate and best friend. The Knicks were the fourth seed going into the playoffs. They took down the fifth-seed Cleveland Cavaliers and were matched up against a tough Miami team in the second round. Unfortunately, they lost the series in game six, ending their season. In the offseason, they made a big acquisition in Donte DiVincenzo—another Villanova guy who played with Brunson and Hart. The team chemistry going into the 2023-2024 season was at an all-time high. DiVincenzo brings playoff and championship experience and elite shooting ability to the team. The Knicks started the season well, and at around the midpoint of the season, they acquired OG Anunoby via trade. But they had to give up some key pieces, R.J. Barrett and Immanuel Quickly. Fans were outraged by this decision since those players were household names around the Tri-State area. However, the trade turned out to have been great for the team. Anunoby fit right in helping the Knicks go on a 13-0 win streak, ending the season at 27-6 record. But that quickly came to a halt, as Anunoby, Randle, and Mitchel Robinson all went down with injuries, most likely needing surgery. Anunoby and Robinson both got surgery but Randle had high expectations of getting better without surgery. This would end up being a terrible decision by the Knicks as Randle would have to undergo season-ending surgery in April. If he had gotten his surgery in February he would've been back in time for playoffs. This is a huge loss for the Knicks, but they aren't discouraged. Anunoby and Robinson made it back for playoffs and helped defeat the Philadelphia 76ers. Although the Sixers were a tough matchup, the Knicks' tenacious defense and high powered offense was too much to handle and they took the series in 6 games. In the rebounding aspect, Josh Hart led the team and ranked second in the playoffs for rebounds per game, Averaging 11.5. He is known to be one of the grittiest players in the league and is the key piece to a championship team. Jalen Brunson has had a phenomenal season that has carried over into the playoffs, leading the league at 32.4 points per game (ESPN). However, there is a glaring issue surrounding the players: injuries. Randle is out for the season. Bojan Bogdanovic, OG Anunoby, Mitchel Robinson, Jalen Brunson, and Josh Hart have all missed some playoff time due to injuries. They must get healthy fast to ensure any chance of success. 

However, injuries would later cut their season short, resulting in a loss over the Pacers in game seven of the second round. New York fans are left asking “What could have been?” if nobody got injured. Nothing can be done now, though, as they have to wait until next season. The Knicks are rumored to make a blockbuster trade for a superstar in the offseason which keeps things exciting, making more and more people look forward to next season. The Knicks have had a very successful season and have shown signs of improvement yearly. They have officially ended a 10-year drought of being unsuccessful.

Works Cited

"New York Knicks." ESPN, www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/ny/new-york-knicks.