From crying about drafting a future NBA All-Star to chanting that Trae Young is balding in a home playoff game, New York Knicks fans have come a long way over several years!
The Knicks made their first playoff appearance since 2013 last season, and while they did lose to Young and the Hawks, who went on to reach the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks learned a lot about themselves.
Tom Thibodeau, in his first season, as the Knicks’ head coach won the NBA Coach of the Year award, Julius Randle won the league’s Most Improved Player award, the Knicks claimed the 4-seed in the Eastern Conference, and New York finished the regular season ranking third in defensive rating.
The 2020-21 season may not have ended the way the New York Knicks would have liked, but all-in-all, this was a very successful season for a franchise that had been near the bottom of the league in the standings over the years. This team is way ahead of schedule due to the fantastic jobs both president Leon Rose and GM Scott Perry have done with this roster, but the 2021-22 season has a chance to be better.
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With the addition of Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier, the Knicks now have two upgrades on offense that they will utilize next to Julius Randle, R.J. Barrett, and other talents coming off the bench. The loss of Reggie Bullock may hurt the Knicks early on in the season, but looking at this roster, they seem like they are in a much better spot than they were last season.
The Nets and Bucks definitely look like the top two teams in the Eastern Conference, but believe it or not. The New York Knickerbockers really are not too far behind them in terms of game planning and strategy.
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Talent-wise, Brooklyn, and Milwaukee are well past the Knicks, but if New York adds another key scoring talent during the season, they could put up a great fight against either of these teams.
Entering the 2021-22 season, there will be quite a few veteran players available via trade around the league, so could the Knicks look to upgrade their roster at some point? Let’s look at three trade targets the New York Knicks should still consider heading into the new seasons.
