New York Knicks: Top 5 greatest one-season wonders in team history

2. Xavier McDaniel — 1991–1992 season

Xavier McDaniel was one of the unsung heroes from the Knicks’ rise to being a playoff contender during the 1990s. Sure, he only spent a year with the team, but he had such a sound impact over his 1991–1992 season.

He started all 82 games over the season and filled in the team’s need for a wing scorer, averaging 13.7 points per game on 47.8 percent shooting. He fit in well on a team that featured Patrick Ewing in the low post and Mark Jackson handling the responsibilities as a primary ball-handler.

McDaniel’s stepped it up a notch during the playoffs. In the first round against the Detroit Pistons, McDaniel averaged 19.2 points per game, which ranked second on the team behind Ewing. The Knicks finished the job as they eliminated the Pistons in five games.

McDaniel continued his strong playoff showings against the Chicago Bulls in the next round. Once again, he formed a one-two scoring punch alongside Ewing as the forward averaged 18.6 points per game in the series. In a back-and-forth series, the Bulls prevailed in seven games to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Game 7 of that series turned out to be McDaniel’s final game with the Knicks as he signed with the Celtics in the offseason.