The New York Knicks seemed ready to run their back 2023-24 roster. They were one win away from the Eastern Conference Finals, and that was without an All-Star (Julius Randle) for the entire playoff run and their opening night starting center (Mitchell Robinson) for much of the second round — as well as a few other disruptive injuries. But then the offseason happened, and New York’s roster underwent a few shakeups.
The biggest, and probably only, drawback of the offseason took place when the Oklahoma City Thunder signed away starting center Isaiah Hartenstein. The Knicks couldn’t have been too surprised by his signing elsewhere as they were well aware of their limitation in offering him a competitive deal. Still, the Knicks hoped Hartenstein would re-sign. The seven-footer’s departure hurt even more when they failed to sign a replacement.
Re-signing OG Anunoby to a five-year/$212.5 million deal received mixed reviews. On the one hand, Anunoby was key to the team’s success last season. They were only 17-15 when he was added via trade in late December.
Conversely, the Knicks were 20-3 in games in which he appeared for the remainder of the regular season, and he was a major factor in their postseason success before straining his left hamstring. Anunoby played in only five minutes in the final five games of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The negatives of re-signing Anunoby revolve around his health. Anunoby has been fairly injury-prone throughout his seven-year career. In fact, he’s played in 70 or more games only once, which was his rookie year.
So, neither of the aforementioned additions or subtractions qualify as the Knicks’ best move of the 2024 offseason. But trading for star wing Mikal Bridges does.
Bridges is a low-usage, defensive-minded wing who can knock down shots (37.5% career three-point shooter) and lock down an opposing team’s best player (2021-2022 NBA All-Defense). And while sending five first-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets was less than ideal, it’s important to note that New York expects to be highly competitive for the next few seasons.
Further, New York hasn’t made many savvy first-round picks since drafting Kristaps Porzingis in 2015. They drafted Frank Ntilikina over Donovan Mitchell in 2016, Kevin Knox over Bridges in 2017, and Obi Toppin over Tyrese Haliburton in 2020. So, if drafting isn’t the team’s forte, maybe making those picks work for them differently is what’s best.
Mikal Bridges could unlock Knicks’ potential
When healthy, the Knicks now boast one of the best defensive units in the league. Robinson, Anunoby, and Bridges will give opponents absolute fits. Randle is a capable and underrated defender. Jalen Brunson led the entire NBA in charges last season (total). And that’s before we get to the bench, which features a few strong defenders, too.
Sure, the Knicks could use someone to relieve Robinson more regularly than Precious Achiuwa, but that doesn’t change the fact that the team’s starting five is now stacked on the defensive end of the floor.
And let’s not forget the Villanova connection. The Knicks now boast four Wildcats from the same Villanova team — Brunson, Bridges, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo. And that’s not a coincidence.
These guys are incredibly close friends. That makes the desire to succeed together all the more powerful. Further, the synergy achieved as college teammates should translate nicely to the NBA. They’ll know one another’s preferred spots, how one another moves without the ball, and all of one another’s defensive strengths and weaknesses. Those are major advantages in a game in which split-second decision-making rules the day.
The Knicks are probably not an entirely finished product. They would be foolish to not remain on the lookout for an upgrade at the backup center position. But at the end of the day, their roster looks better now than it has in literal decades. And much of their upgrade has to do with the fourth Wildcat (Bridges). So, let’s give them room to show us what they can do.
