Where do the New York Knicks go from here?

The New York Knicks thrilling playoff run has unfortunately come to an end.  It's not the outcome Knicks fans would have liked but there's certainly many positives to come out of this NBA season for them.  The Knicks have cemented themselves as Eastern Conference contenders with no immediate plans of disappearing anytime soon.  However, with this past season being the most wide open we've seen the Eastern Conference in the playoffs, we have to anticipate many fellow East teams will look for substantial improvement this offseason.  Let's see how the Knicks can strengthen this roster and hope to make that next step of reaching the NBA Finals.

The unfortunate reality the Knicks face is that their two stars, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, simply do not work together.  They are both offensive studs who hit a plethora of big shots throughout their first season together in New York.  But after losing Isaiah Hartenstein to the Thunder, and Mitchell Robinson set to miss most of the upcoming year, New York was left with no starting caliber center, and thus the acquisition of Karl-Anthony Towns.  This in addition to the haul of 5 first round picks for Mikal Bridges, and the Knicks find themselves with very little options at this present moment. The Knicks only real choices remain as follows...

Upgrade the defense so much that you can withstand your best two players being defensive liabilities

Upgrade the offense so much to the point where a lackluster defense doesn't matter

Or split up the Jalen Brunson and KAT duo

As far as upgrading this team goes, the salary situation is not ideal.  The Knicks top 7 guys already bring them about $40 million over the cap, meaning New York will either have to get creative, or dump salary somewhere to have any real options at improving the roster.  

As much as New York fans loved it when Towns was initially acquired, after seeing his lack of defensive effort and intensity halt their playoff run, a trade for Towns could very well be in play.  Especially with stars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, and more potentially available this offseason.  

I do think there should be a very serious conversation as well on if Tom Thibodeau truly is the future coach of this team.  Yes, he’s brought this team somewhere they haven't been in 25 years, but he's never made a finals in his career as a head coach and his demanding style has been widely debated.  

One thing remains clear, the Eastern Conference is anyone's to take next season, and the upcoming offseason will play a big role in shaping the future of the NBA.

Get our free mobile app