2022-23 New York Knicks preseason roster, schedule, key questions, how to watch, more

The controversial and hotly debated New York Knicks offseason is finally over, and the 2022 preseason is set to kick off on Tuesday night with a showdown against the Pistons. 

The Knicks will play four preseason games before the NBA regular season starts on October 18th. 

We’ve got your complete guide on how to watch each Knicks preseason game, who’s on the roster, what key questions are facing the team, and more. 

Schedule and How to Watch:

Roster: 

New Additions:

• Trevor Keels – Drafted in the second round, signed to two-way contract
• Jalen Brunson – signed to a four-year $104 million deal
• Isaiah Hartenstein – signed to a two-year $16 million deal
• DaQuan Jeffries – signed to a camp deal
• Ryan Arcidiacono – signed to a camp deal
• Svi Mykhailiuk – signed to a camp deal
• Jalen Harris – signed to a camp deal

Obviously, the big-name addition here is Jalen Brunson, and we covered him in detail earlier in the offseason. Hartenstein, while not as big of a name is also a lock to make this team in the Nerlens Noel backup center role due to his contract. 

The Knicks may have tipped their hand at one of the worries they have about this team with the signings of both Arcidiacono and Mykhailiuk. While neither is signed to a major contract or a lock to make the team, they both were high-profile college players from big programs who were known for their three-point shooting.

Arcidiacono shot 36% from three during his four-year career at Villanova, making just under two threes a game during his career. He also averaged over a steal a game as a solid perimeter defender. Mykhailiuk played four years at Kansas, shooting 41% from three over his career, but averaging just 1.7 made threes per game as part of a deep rotation. 

In 2021, the Knicks ranked 13th in the NBA, shooting 35.7% as a team from beyond the three-point arc, which was a step back from 2020, when they ranked 4th while shooting 38.8%. Perhaps the team is looking for a little extra shooting off of the bench to help offset more natural slashing guards and wings like RJ Barrett, Derrick Rose, and Cam Reddish. 

Key Losses:

• Alec Burks – traded to Pistons for future draft considerations
• Nerlens Noel – traded to Pistons for future draft considerations
• Kemba Walker – traded
• Taj Gibson – waived

Biggest Storylines/Questions

• Can Jalen Brunson be a primary scoring option?
• Is there another level for RJ Barrett?

These first two questions go hand in hand. The Knicks paid big money to Jalen Brunson because they clearly believe he can carry an offense, but he’s had the luxury of playing with one of the best scorers in the game in Luka Doncic while he was in Dallas. Can Brunson step up and be the consistent main scoring option on a team? Or is there another level in RJ Barrett’s development that will allow Brunson to remain a number two option? Preseason will be the first hint we have at seeing who takes on the biggest scoring lead for the Knicks. 

• Can Julius Randle function as just a part of a larger offense? 

With the offense figuring to run through Barrett or Brunson, how does Randle fit in? In 2020, Randle was the engine that drove the Knicks to the playoffs, but he couldn’t match that level in 2021 and was often where ball movement and offensive rhythm went to die. Can Randle function as just one part of a large offense? Can he move the ball and play within the system? If not, the Knicks’ offense will never get off the ground. 

• What does Isaiah Hartenstein do?

It’s a simple question, but the Knicks paid $8 million per year for Hartenstein and also brought back Mitchell Robinson, so how does the 7’0″ German national fit into this offense? He’s only 24 years old and shot 46.7% from three last year in limited minutes, so maybe he’s developing into a stretch big man, but only time will tell. 

• Is Cam Reddish in the rotation?

Cam Reddish was an intriguing addition mid-season by the Knicks, but he was injured while he was still playing for the Atlanta Hawks and never really saw meaningful playing time in New York. The 23-year-old is the former 10th overall pick in the draft and showed some upside in his time with Atlanta; although, he was never able to truly emerge as a consistent force. Perhaps playing with his old college teammate R.J. Barrett will help him find that comfort level. 

• Is the young core ready?

With Walker, Burks, Noel, and Gibson all gone, the Knicks have freed up bench minutes for a younger core of players like Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, Obi Toppin, Miles McBride, Jericho Sims, and Reddish. Or have they?

Quickley played the most minutes of the group at 23.1 per game with Grimes and Toppin both next at 17.1 minutes. Considering Burks played almost 30 minutes per game and Walker played 25.6 per, there would seem to be enough minutes to spread to these younger players, but fans have been calling for that in the past, so it’s unclear just how head coach Tom Thibodeau will spread those minutes around. Preseason action could be our first glimpse. 

For more Knicks coverage this season, make sure to visit amNY Sports