Whatever happens this season, there is no doubt that one of the NBA ’s most interesting situations resides in the Big Apple. The New York Knicks will either be contenders for the first time in years or, for whatever reason, they will fail to meet expectations. They employ a roster with stars, versatile defenders, a respected coach and a revamped culture that demands maniacal competitiveness.
Advertisement That combination is ripe for can’t-miss storylines. So let’s run through the 10 I am most looking forward to following during the upcoming season. Part 2 of this story will run next week.
Here is Part 1: Can Julius Randle be a perfect fit? Too many people have perpetuated a misinformed idea this offseason: That the Knicks were better after Randle got hurt in 2023-24. That wasn’t true. They won 63 percent of the games Randle played.
They won 58 percent of the ones he didn’t. The story supposedly goes that the offense flowed better without the three-time All-Star, that ball movement thrived and that cutting prevailed. But while the Knicks did change their style, it didn’t necessarily lead to more dominant results.
The offense was still 5.8 points per 100 possessions better when Randle was on the court last season, according to Cleaning the Glass. There are tidbits of the attack the Knicks implemented after Randle went down for the season with a dislocated shoulder that they could blend into 2024-25 when he expects to be healthy once again.
But the reality is that t.