The New York Knicks have helped tip off the 2024-25 NBA season with a highly-anticipated matchup against the defending champion Boston Celtics.
After making significant roster changes in the offseason, including trading away guard Donte Divincenzo and forward Julius Randle to the Minnesota Timberwolves for center Karl Anthony-Towns, this team is expected to be one of the best in the league this season.
The addition of Towns gives the Knicks a starting center, which is what they desperately needed after former big man Isaiah Hartenstein parted ways with the team, signing a multi-year contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder during the offseason, and center Mitchell Robinson was not expected to make a full recovery until January.
The 28-year-old is already a proven star, having been the Rookie of the Year, a four-time NBA All-Star, and a two-time All-NBA selection. Towns is not the traditional center that Hartenstein was for the Knicks, who mainly focused on rebounding and defense. He’s a stretch big who likes to score from the perimeter, shooting 41.6% from the 3-point line last season for the Wolves.
It’s been a long time since the Knicks have had a stretch 5 as skilled as Towns. The team will be able to run a new kind of offense surrounded by guard Jalen Brunson and Towns, allowing them to get more 3-pointers each game and better space out the floor.
Brunson, who finished top-five in MVP voting last season, is expected to have another remarkable year. The guard averaged 28.7 points and 6.7 assists per game in the 2023-24 season. He’s predicted to lead the team once again in scoring and assists, but the main question is, will he take it even further, averaging nearly 30 points per game again, or will it become lower, given the new additions of Towns and Mikal Bridges will also be able to provide scoring. Nonetheless, Brunson has proven himself to be the bona fide star for New York and will be on the hunt for MVP once again, leading his team.
Bridges was another notable acquisition from the Knicks in the summer. Initially traded from the Nets in exchange for a haul of picks, Bojan Bogdonovich, Shake Milton, and Mamadi Diakite. Bridges, who is a great two-way player, is expected to enter the starting lineup at shooting guard to replace DiVincenzo.
Bridges averaged 19.6 points and 4.5 rebounds in the previous season with the Nets. He has generally been a good 3-point shooter throughout his career, shooting 37.5%, but he saw a disappointing percentage in preseason, going just 2-for-19 behind the 3-point line.
It’s anticipated that he will improve from that performance and replace the 3-point shooting the Knicks lost with DiVincenzo. Bridges is also an impressive two-way player, and the combination of him and OG Anunoby on the defensive end will be a frightful sight for opposing teams.
In Year 2 of Anunoby on the Knicks, fans expect the forward to make a significant impact again, specifically on the defensive end of the court. When Anunoby first became a Knick, his presence was immediately felt, having a +240 rating, the best plus-minus total ever by a player in his first 13 games.
The main area of concern for this Knicks team is their lack of bench depth available right now. Guard Landry Shamet, who was previously on an exhibit 9 contract with the team, was expected to play a major role off the bench this upcoming season. But he got injured during a preseason game and was waived, eliminating a roster spot for him.
However, there have been reports that if Shamet can make a full recovery during the season, the Knicks would be interested in signing him again, as he can be an elite shooter and playmaker off the bench. The other bench injury is from forward Precious Achiuwa, who suffered a strain in his left hamstring during a preseason game, leaving the Knicks undersized and without a true power forward.
Here is a depth chart of the Knicks roster:
- PG: Jalen Brunson, Deuce McBride, Cameron Payne, Tyler Kolek
- SG: Mikal Bridges, Pacome Dadiet, Kevin McCullar Jr
- SF: Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges
- PF: OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa
- C: Karl-Anthony Towns, Mitchell Robinson, Jericho Sims, Ariel Hukporti
Many of the players on this team are interchangeable and can play multiple different positions if needed, such as Anunoby, Bridges, and Josh Hart. Along with signing guard Cameron Payne to a one-year deal, the Knicks have multiple new faces on the roster given that they selected four rookies in the draft. Guard Tyler Kolek has been a stand-out player in preseason, scoring double-digits in three of four preseason games and facilitating the ball well. This team’s strongest aspect is its guard position, so it’s unlikely that Kolek will see many minutes off the bench in his first year in the NBA.
- Expected record: 57-25
- Playoff prediction: NBA Finals
