The Knicks championship win kicked off a summer to remember around New York City, but summer is long gone.
The champagne went dry, the parties have stopped, and the reality that another long NBA season lies ahead has shifted the focus from the past to the future.
The fact that no team has won back-to-back championships since the Warriors in 2018 has been discussed ad nauseam. But the 2019 Warriors are also the only team to make it back to the NBA Finals after winning a title. The Thunder are the only defending champion since 2019 that made it to the Conference Finals in the season following their title run.
Before we find out if the Knicks will face a similar fate or break the recent curse on NBA champs, they have to get through another 82-game campaign — this time as the team everyone will circle on the calendar.
It’s hard to remember the perception around the Knicks during the regular season, but they weren’t being lauded for their commitment on a night-to-night basis. Stretches of quality play were often followed by periods of lackluster basketball, and that vicious cycle extended from late December through April.
All was forgotten when they went on a run for the ages during the postseason and did their best impersonation of the ’70s championship Knicks, but this team made a point to show up only when it mattered most.
That approach won’t do them any favors going into this season.
While the Knicks were enjoying the fruits of their labor during the offseason, the East got much more competitive around them. That’s especially true in their own division.
The Celtics swapped Paul George for Jaylen Brown and poached Mitchell Robinson from the Knicks. The 76ers added Brown and LeBron James to a team that pulled off a stunning first-round upset as a No. 7 seed. The Raptors, after a long wait, traded for Kawhi Leonard, adding an MVP-level wing player to their young core of Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett.
Even the Nets made moves to get better, swinging a trade for former Knicks All-Star Julius Randle. The recent changes to the NBA’s tanking rules, along with the fact that the Rockets own the right to swap first-round picks, should give the Nets more incentive to fight for wins instead of hoping for lottery luck.
The East as a whole could be much more competitive top to bottom than last season. The Heat, who missed the playoffs last season, now have Giannis Antetokounmpo and can be a force if they stay healthy. The Pacers have Tyrese Haliburton back after he spent a season recovering from a torn Achilles tendon. Even the usual conference doormat Wizards look like a competitive team.
The Knicks have championship experience on their side, but the loss of Mitchell Robinson will make them a worse team on the defensive end. Even if Karl-Anthony Towns plays defense at the level he did during the postseason, there’s still a massive hole in the defense that Andre Drummond will have his hands full trying to fill.
That seemingly minor change could end up being the biggest threat to the Knicks reaching their ceiling this season. But they still have an incredibly high floor.
Sportsbooks have the Knicks’ win total listed at 51.5, which means they are expecting the Knicks to fall a win short of the 53 victories they picked up last season.
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That seems far-fetched based on all the other positives the Knicks have in their favor. Towns’ ability to run the offense as a hub means Jalen Brunson doesn’t have to shoulder as much of an offensive load. OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges are also capable of generating offense for stretches.
The continuity we saw in the playoffs is real, and nearly every other team that made moves in the East will need time to coalesce. The Knicks already know who they are.
I believe we’ll see the Knicks pace themselves through the regular season, but they are more than capable of getting 52 wins with their current roster.
The Pick: Knicks Over 51.5 wins (-110, Caesars)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports. He spends his weeknights in the winter looking for edges on plus-money NBA player props.
