Keeping the Champions Together
The New York Knicks ended a 53-year wait for a championship last season. Now, they are trying to do what no team has done in eight seasons by winning back-to-back titles. The good news for fans is that they managed to keep all five of their starting players for the upcoming season.
However, there are some changes to the bench. Owner James Dolan made it clear he would not spend past the league's second apron. This meant they could not match the offer of over $15 million per season that the Boston Celtics gave to backup center Mitchell Robinson. Instead, the Knicks signed Andre Drummond to fill that backup role.
Smart Bench Deals and Regression Fears
While losing Robinson hurts, the Knicks did great business elsewhere. Jordan Clarkson, Jose Alvarado, Landry Shamet, and Mohamed Diawara are all staying. Zach Kram gave the Knicks a B- grade for their summer, noting that Shamet and Alvarado signed some of the best value contracts of the offseason.
Nine of the team's top ten playoff rotation players are back. Still, a team source warned about a potential championship hangover. The source also noted that the team's three-point shooting might decline after they ranked first in the postseason. The Knicks also defended the three-point line incredibly well in the playoffs, holding opponents to just 31%.
The Health Factor and Towns' Huge Role
Staying healthy will be the biggest challenge for this squad. Last season, all five starters played at least 66 regular-season games. They also made 98% of the starts in the playoffs. Karl-Anthony Towns played 75 games, which was his highest number since the 2018-19 season. If he gets injured, the team looks much weaker without Robinson.
Towns is also eligible for a massive four-year extension worth $272 million. Coach Mike Brown found success by running the offense through Towns in the playoffs, lifting the team's offensive rating to a postseason-best 120.4 points per 100 possessions. Keeping him healthy is the ultimate key to another trophy.
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