Once again, New York KnicksThe season ended with another elimination in the second round. Still, it appears the Knicks have made progress as a franchise. They advanced to the second round in consecutive years for the first time since 1999 and 2000.
The team has built a tenacious identity and found several key pieces on the roster that are worth keeping in the long term. But there’s still more work to do if the Knicks want to reach the upper echelon of NBA contenders. Now that the dust has settled, it’s time to take a look at some takeaways from New York’s 2024 postseason.
Brunson is someone you can build with
After a strong run in the 2023 playoffs, it was clear that Jalen Brunson was a high-scoring option the Knicks could build around. He continued to answer the bell as option number one. He had a memorable run in the 2024 playoffs. In 13 postseason games, the point guard averaged 32.4 points and 7.5 assists.
Brunson scored 40 points on five different occasions and dished out at least six assists on 10 different occasions. This happened against teams that launched all types of defense against him. The Philadelphia 76ers often brought in extra help and were 6-7 Kelly Obre and 6-8 Nicolas Batum keep it. The Indiana Pacers had smaller defenders, but they tried to tire him out with full-court pressure.
Brunson suffered an injury to his right foot early in the second round. He also fractured his left hand in Game 7. Under the weight of enormous responsibility, his overall shooting efficiency plummeted during the playoffs. If the Knicks can find a way to alleviate the responsibility Brunson carried, those numbers should bounce back in the future.
Need for a second star
As the playoffs progressed, it seemed untenable for Brunson to carry such a heavy load on offense as several other Knicks suffered injuries. Brunson played significant minutes, but even more concerning, he had a league-high usage rate (36.4 percent). It was notable that Brunson rarely took shots off the catch and almost all of his shot attempts were under duress and off the dribble.
Obviously, Julio Randleabsence would have alleviated some of that pressure. But there are still legitimate questions about whether Randle is the right-wing man or the second choice. In the regular season, Randle has been solid, but has lackluster in two playoff games.
Whether it’s Randle or another star the Knicks face in the offseason, the need for another shot creator is crucial. But it’s a complicated adjustment. Ideally, the Knicks need another star who can sustain the offense when Brunson rests, but who can complement Brunson with strong defense and the ability to score from three.
When healthy, the Knicks have great depth
New York has consistently found the right complementary pieces in recent years. The playoffs showed just that. It seemed like during this year’s playoffs a new Knick was coming into his own in every game. Six Knicks players averaged double-digit scoring in the postseason.
Josh Hart was better than expected from the three-point line and averaged 11.5 rebounds. Donte DiVincenzo had two 35+ point games in the conference semifinals and hit arguably the biggest shot of the Knicks’ season in Game 2 of the first round. OG Anunoby was an elite two-way player.
Isaiah Hartenstein was a constant presence and had the most offensive rebounds of any player in the first two rounds. Miles McBride was effective off the bench. With Anunoby and Hartenstein likely to enter unrestricted free agency It will be important for the Knicks to retain two key players who have had a huge impact on both ends of the court. It is imperative that the Knicks keep this core together to continue building championship contention.
