The Nova Knicks Run is Over, Time to Break Up the Buddies Trip

If you think the Knicks will reach the NBA Finals this year, or even return to the Eastern Conference Finals like last year, I’ve got a three-legged chair I’d like to sell you.

The Nova Knicks run is over. Two iterations of it have failed. The second, you could argue, is worse than the first. At least there was hope with Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo. Replacing DiVincenzo with Mikal Bridges has shut Brunson’s championship window this season and left little opening for future years.

Now, no matter the ultimate result of the Hawks-Knicks series, we must admit it’s time to end the New York Nova experiment. It was a fun run; it brought the Knicks back to relevance, which is far better than the previous decade of poking a lifeless franchise with a stick. That run has taken the Knicks as far as it can go.

That fact has become plainly evident in the three games played against the Hawks thus far. Bridges has a plus-minus of minus-23. He also missed an easy midrange shot at the buzzer that would have won Game 2 for the Knicks. He was benched for most of Game 3 after going 0-for-3 from the field. His confidence is as bad as his shot form right now.

After giving up five first-round picks to acquire Bridges from the Nets, which ultimately led to DiVincenzo's exit, it’s tough to say what the Knicks could get in return by trading him. Whatever it is, it’s better than what they have now.

Coach Mike Brown must shoulder much of the blame for this. He is likely on his way out if the Knicks lose in the first round. Brought in to be a players' coach after the hard-nosed tactics of Tom Thibodeau wore thin, Brown’s coaching strategy in crunch time appears as sound as eating a three-day-old Philly cheesesteak sitting on the counter when you get back from a Nova nightclub.

There’s no semblance of a plan when things break down. Timeouts are used randomly and without situational awareness. Final-second plays collapse before they start. He literally played a lineup in the third quarter of Game 2 that he hadn’t used all season.

If Brown is experimenting, why can’t we?

Brunson is the backbone of this team. Love it or hate it, the Knicks aren’t going to find someone better than him in the next year. He’s not going anywhere.

The Karl-Anthony Towns experiment hasn’t panned out. He’s a defensive liability like Brunson. Terrible roster fit. He also seems disengaged when he isn’t the focal point of the offense. Can’t have that from a No. 2 star. Gotta move on.

Josh Hart? Depends on the coach.

OG Anunoby should be part of the future as a 3-and-D specialist. He has to stay healthy, though.

Mitchell Robinson will be a free agent this offseason. How to proceed there will depend on who the coach is.

Outside of them? Does it even matter?

Regardless, this core is done. Even if they come back and beat the Hawks, they will likely get dissected by the Celtics in the next round. Yes, the same Celtics who were predicted to miss the playoffs this year with Jayson Tatum returning from a torn Achilles. They’re the No. 2 seed. Better coaching. Better roster construction.

The Knicks chased an idea. In theory, it was beautiful: four college National Champions yearning to play together and bring another city a title. They got so close last year. Then they coughed up a big lead in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pacers, which ultimately cost them the series.

They’re looking for a repeat of that this year. Only it was Game 2 in the opening round against the Hawks.

No one wants to see a three-peat.

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