The 2022-23 NBA Season Will Be Full Of Surprises... Including The New York Knicks
What do you get when you mix long-lasting, never-ending depression with passion and never-ending energy?
That’s right, you guessed it – New York Knicks fans.
For years now, fans of the Knicks have witnessed struggles after struggles with their franchise and it seems like this franchise has been in torment for years. From missing out on All-Star-caliber players in free agency to failing to pull the trigger on big trades, New York has lived near the bottom of the NBA world for some time.
Making the playoffs as the 4-seed during the 2020-21 season gave the Big Apple hope that the tide was finally shifting for this organization, but then the Knicks went just 37-45 last season, failing to make the playoffs for the eighth time in the last nine seasons.
Major changes needed to be made in the offseason and the Knicks front-office understood this, which is why team president Leon Rose and general manager Scott Perry decided to make the moves they did.
Not only did the Knicks extend the contracts of Mitchell Robinson, Jericho Sims and RJ Barrett, but they ended up being very active on draft night by trading away veterans Kemba Walker, Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel to try and set themselves up for long-term success.
While the fans would have liked to see them keep Ousmane Dieng, the 11th picks in this year’s draft, or Jalen Duren, the 13th pick in this year’s draft, the 2022 NBA Draft was all about acquiring assets for the future, which is exactly what the Knicks did by bringing in two protected first-round picks in 2023 and one protected first-round pick in 2025.
Following the draft, the Knicks made a big splash for once in free agency by signing former Dallas Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $104 million deal. They also brought in former Los Angeles Clippers big man Isaiah Hartenstein on a two-year, $16 million deal.
So what does this all mean for the New York Knicks as it pertains to the 2022-23 NBA season, which is set to begin for the Knicks on October 19?
For the first time in what seems like eons, the Knicks finally have a young, solid point guard that can control the floor in Jalen Brunson. He may not be an All-Star-level threat on the floor yet, but Brunson checks off all the boxes on both ends of the floor for what this team has needed in the backcourt and he is coming off a season in which he averaged a career-high 16.3 points per game on 50.2 percent shooting from the floor.
RJ Barrett is only going to continue to grow into a star out on the wing and Julius Randle still remains a member of this team despite his struggles during the 2021-22 season. These three players easily have what it takes to lead this team on the offensive-end of the floor and they do compliment one another quite well.
Brunson and Barrett both have the ability to be facilitators that love to attack the left side of the floor contrary to most of the league looking to attack on the right and with pressure being taken off of him, Randle can ease back into being the All-Star-like player he was not too long ago.
Veteran sharpshooter Evan Fournier remains a high-level three-point shooter out on the wing, Mitchell Robinson is a double-double threat at the center position and the Knicks have various youthful talents in Immanuel Quickley, Obi Toppin and Quentin Grimes who all figure to hold big roles for this team in the second-unit.
We have yet to see this group play a game yet, but there are some around the league who believe the Knicks have what it takes to exceed expectations.
“We can talk about the Knicks history for days and their struggles over the years, but instead, look at all the positives they have going for them right now,” one Eastern Conference scout told Fastbreak on FanNation. “You have a young, hungry point guard in Brunson who is looking to still prove himself, you have a multi-talented wing in Barrett who has a chance to be an All-Star one day and quite honestly, one of the best, most passionate fan bases who always supports them through thick-and-thin in the best arena in all of sports.
“Nobody is going to want to talk about them simply because they are the Knicks, but at the All-Star break, we could seriously be talking about this team making the playoffs without having to earn their spot via the Play-In Tournament.”
Having just one season with 40-plus wins in the last nine seasons, making the playoffs would certainly be a massive accomplishment for the New York Knicks, especially since they are still building their core for the future.
The 2022-23 NBA season is going to be extremely competitive and the Eastern Conference is filled with championship-level teams, which is why the margin for error is very small for teams like the Knicks.
However, nobody other than those in the Knicks locker room believe that this team has what it takes to be special, which is why they are the ones that will play every single night with nothing to lose.
This kind of mentality has turned underrated teams into real threats before and with an electric fan base in Madison Square Garden, anything is possible for New York this year.
