New York Knicks
The culture is changing within the New York Knicks organization. They are no longer the laughing stock of the NBA, as Leon Rose, William Wesley and Tom Thibodeau have flipped the script.
In the first season of that trio being the Knicks brain trust, they had a record of 41-31, earning the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. While they were eliminated in the first round by the Atlanta Hawks, the season was still a huge success.
This offseason many people expected them to make a big splash. Instead, they stayed the course, adding more future draft capital and keeping their long-term options open. They also upgraded the roster.
The Knicks’ 2021 draft class was ridiculed, but they did an excellent job targeting players they wanted. They added multiple future picks and selected Quentin Grimes, Deuce McBride and Jericho Sims, all three of whom dominated the Las Vegas Summer League.
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Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier were signed to replace Elfrid Payton and Reggie Bullock, as Derrick Rose, Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel were re-signed. With the added players and continuity already in place, the Knicks are primed to take the next step this season.
Advancing to the second round would present even more progress for a franchise that looked like it was going nowhere just a year ago and make them an even more attractive landing spot for free agents or players looking to leave a team via trade.
