New York Knicks: 4 must-follow storylines this season
New York Knicks storyline No. 2. How much better is the Eastern Conference?
The New York Knicks outperformed their preseason expectations for the 2020-21 NBA season, finishing as the 4-seed in the Eastern Conference. The playoffs didn’t pan out as well as the regular season, but nevertheless, it was a successful season — something Knicks fans direly needed.
The upcoming season is an opportunity for the Knicks to build upon their success, especially since they maintained a majority of their key rotation pieces as well as added Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier to the mix.
In a vacuum, the Knicks should take a significant step forward. They added two quality starters and kept most of their core together. But of course, there are outside forces — most notably the improvement of other Eastern Conference playoff teams.
Last season, only the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks finished above the Knicks in the standings. The Atlanta Hawks had the same 41-31 record and owned the 5-seed, and the Miami Heat finished one game behind the Knicks and Hawks for the 6-seed.
The 2021-22 season should be no different for the 76ers, Nets and Bucks even if Ben Simmons is dealt. The Hawks — a relatively young team — are primed to soar into the playoffs once again and should significantly improve as Trae Young enters his fourth season. The Heat added six-time All-Star Kyle Lowry via a sign-and-trade with the Toronto Raptors, signed P.J. Tucker and re-signed Victor Oladipo in free agency.
Between both of those teams, the Knicks will have to battle for the 4-seed again, assuming the top three teams remain.
But these aren’t the only teams presenting a fight to avoid the play-in game. The Boston Celtics, who lost Fournier and Walker this offseason, are still a solid team led by young stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The team that poses a larger threat than them, however, is the Chicago Bulls.
The Bulls arguably had the busiest offseason in the league as they acquired Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso. Oh if that wasn’t enough, they’ll have Nikola Vucevic back for a full season next year. Chicago was only two games out of a play-in game. With a revamped roster, the playoffs should be reachable.
The aforementioned teams would likely fill up the eight playoff seeds, but the order of which could fluctuate throughout the season. Because of it, the Knicks will need to fight harder to earn the 4-seed or 5-seed to avoid the Big 3 of East playoff teams in the first round.
Keep in mind that the Knicks’ seeding doesn’t reflect their improvement as a team. It may fog one’s judgment seeing a drop to the 6-seed, but the win percentage is key. New York had a 56.9 win percentage last season. Root for at least the 4-seed, but don’t think the Knicks regressed if they fall lower.
Winning a championship is not achievable overnight. It’s a win if the Knicks can raise their win percentage even if they dip in the standings.