By virtue of the Knicks making it to the quarterfinals of the NBA’s well-received inaugural in-season tournament, won by the Los Angeles Lakers, schedule alterations have them facing the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks five times this season instead of the normal four games.
The Bucks were at Madison Square Garden on Saturday and two days later on Christmas, and will face the Knicks one more time in the regular season in Milwaukee on April 7. They will square off against the Celtics, against which they are 0-3 this season, on February 24 at the Garden and April 11 in Boston.
The Knicks were the No. 5 seed in the East at 16-11 before their two-game clash with the Bucks. At the same time last season, they were 14-18, but ultimately went into the playoffs as the No. 5 and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, losing to the Miami Heat 4-2.
Point guard Jalen Brunson emerged as an All-Star and even an All-NBA worthy candidate, although he wasn’t selected for either. This season, he seems to be a near lock to make the former and will get strong consideration for the latter if he continues on his current path, including his career-high 50-point performance in the Knicks’ 139-122 victory over the Phoenix Suns on the road on December 15.
Pairing Brunson with Julius Randle, a two-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection, both in 2021 and last season, has created the cornerstones for the reconstruction of a franchise that last season made its first playoff appearance since 2013. Now, heading into 2024, they are once again one of the league’s most engrossing teams.
But do the Knicks have enough to get past the Celtics and or Bucks, and even the Philadelphia 76ers with reigning MVP Joel Embiid, to reach the conference finals and beyond, especially with center Mitchell Robinson out for the remainder of the season after having left ankle surgery earlier this month after sustaining an injury against the Celtics on December 8? Now the Knicks’ calculus and playoff prospects have ostensibly changed.
As it stands today, the Knicks would need favorable circumstances to defeat the Celtics or Bucks in a best-of-seven series, in which the better team usually wins. There are exceptions, but all things being equal, particularly the Bucks, Celtics, and Knicks all being at full strength, the Knicks would have to be near flawless to conquer them. The addition of an effective two-way wing, a need for the Knicks for the past several seasons, could dramatically shift their trajectory.
The Chicago Bulls’ DeMar DeRozan, the San Antonio Spurs’ Keldon Johnson, and the Toronto Raptors’ O.G. Anunoby and Pascal Siakam might be available. The Knicks have Evan Fournier’s $18.9 million expiring contract, four potential 2024 first-round picks, three 2024 second-round picks, and two first-rounders and two second-rounders in 2025 who are valuable assets with which to bargain.
But the Knicks have a long, contentious history with the Raptors, notably an ongoing lawsuit alleging that former Knicks video, analytics, and player development staffer Ike Azotam, who worked for New York from 2020–23 before being hired by Toronto last summer, stole thousands of confidential, proprietary files, including a Knicks prep book, and shared them with Toronto coaches and other key personnel. In other words, it seems unlikely that the two clubs will engage in a trade.
This intrigue only adds to what should be an interesting remainder of the season for the Knicks.