The New York Knicks shocked the basketball world during the 2020-21 season. Coming into the campaign, the Knicks were expected to be one of the worst teams in the NBA. Sportsbooks set the team’s win total for the season between 21-22 games as no one expected much of anything from the orange and blue.
Fast forward and those expectations were blown out of the water. Tom Thibodeau won Coach of the Year. RJ Barrett took a big second-season leap. Julius Randle won Most Improved Player, carrying the team to a 41-31 record and homecourt in the first round of the NBA Playoffs as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.
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Things didn’t go as planned in the first round against the Atlanta Hawks, as the Knicks lost the series 4-1. While fans were disappointed, a lot of that has worn off now as the Hawks also defeated the No. 1 seeded Philadelphia 76ers and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The unexpected run to the postseason should give the Knicks a good picture of what they need to improve upon this offseason to take that next step. They were at a talent disadvantage compared to the Hawks and while they played hard, New York just couldn’t keep up with the firepower Atlanta had at its disposal.
What could the New York Knicks do this offseason to catapult closer to contender status? Here are four moves they must consider if they want to win the 2022 NBA Finals.
