The last two seasons, New York basketball has been brewing. After years of mediocrity, heartbreak, and frustration, the Knicks are finally back. Not only are they back, but they've established themselves as a true championship contender.
And with their main core intact for the foreseeable future, the team's title window appears open moving forward. But do they truly have enough to win a championship? So far, that question remains unanswered.
Repeated playoff shortcomings leaves questions for the Knicks
Last season, it was the second round. This season, it was the Eastern Conference Finals. Both defeats were to the Indiana Pacers; the Knicks will eventually have to solve that puzzle in order to reach their heights.
However, the Knicks likely won't have to worry about Indiana next season thanks to Tyrese Haliburton's Achilles injury and Myles Turner's departure. Despite that, the Knicks must prove their championship potential next season in a wide-open East.
Furthermore, not only is Haliburton out for the foreseeable future, but so is Celtics' Jayson Tatum. And with Boston's offseason roster overhaul, they've fallen from the top of the conference. With Indiana and Boston down, the Knicks remain at the top of the East alongside Cleveland, leaving an inevitable playoff opponent New York must defeat.
Just one season into the Karl-Anthony Towns era of the Knicks, head coach Tom Thibodeau was shown the door, and now Mike Brown's job is to elevate the Knicks to further heights. With the scapegoat of recent failures gone, all eyes turn to the players.
One of which is Towns, whose arrival in New York elevated their offense but seriously deterred the team's defense. Specifically, the combination of Towns and Jalen Brunson makes the Knicks an easy target defensively in the playoffs.
Adding LeBron could unlock New York's current title aspirations
Keyword: Current. Losing a Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, or other key pieces could be detrimental long-term for the Knicks but beneficial in the short-term. There's an obvious championship window open for New York, especially with a depleted Eastern Conference next season. If they want to capitalize, pivoting off one (or more) of their core players may be needed to achieve a title.
Even though that move feels both unrealistic and unnecessary for the Knicks, LeBron would (likely) be a better player on both ends of the floor in high-leverage moments. Those moments, such as the playoffs, could make the Knicks even more dangerous when the postseason rolls around.
The increased versatility on defense further hides a weakness of the roster, while LeBron's overall offensive game could prove more potent in those same moments.
Of course, all these LeBron-to-New York scenarios remain hypothetical. But the combination of rare uncertainty regarding LeBron's future and New York's everlasting love for him could spark a potential love affair long overdue.