Analyst: Knicks Need Full Year Before Championship Run

The New York Knicks aren't ready to come out of the oven and become contenders just yet.

Feb 8, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson talks with New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11), forward Mikal Bridges (25), and guard Josh Hart (3) during a timeout in the third quarter against the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks have made lots of strides this season, but they still find themselves in third place in the Eastern Conference behind the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics.

The Knicks have the potential to make a deep playoff run again this spring, but their current team hasn't given any indication that they can take things a step further and make it to their first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years.

Last Word on Sports writer Donald Stewart believes that the Knicks aren't quite there yet to compete for a championship.

"It’s jarring to see as many blowouts against the Knicks this year, far more than has happened in Thibs’ tenure in New York to date. 11 of their 18 losses have been by double digits. Speaking to an inconsistent effort – again, unusual for a Thibodeau team. It may sound overly negative for a quality team sitting comfortably third in their conference, but the Knicks didn’t make those big summer moves to have a similar ceiling to last year’s team," Stewart writes.

"It just feels like something is missing. Undoubtedly, they were a deeper team and a more fundamentally sound team last year with better chemistry. Leon Rose chose to break up the nucleus to go all out for a title; therefore, we must hold them to that high standard. To reach that standard, they’re likely a solid offseason away."

The Knicks know their identity by now. They have played enough minutes by now to know their strengths and weaknesses, and Mitchell Robinson's return isn't going to change everything for the team.

However, the Knicks are built to contend for the rest of the decade, so this year gives them a baseline that they can use to figure out what adjustments and changes need to be made to ensure that they perform better in the future.

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns as and so much more!