That’s rights folks. I am once again proud to be a New York Knicks fan, it feels so good. We have not had this feeling opening the season in such a long time and it feels so foreign. I am excited to see what the Knicks do this season. They are going to be a fun team to watch and you damn well they will be on the TV every night (besides Sundays). The Knicks are going to be a good team and here is what you should expect out of them this season.
Best Player: Julius Randle
Yeah not really that crazy of a take, but, like most people, I expect another big season out of Randle. The negative side of me is a little scared that Julius cannot play well under big crowds, but I am going to stay positive. I expect Randle to have similar numbers from last season and continue to be the star of the New York Knicks.
Biggest Regression: Alec Burks
Alec Burks was an unexpected gift last season. Burks missed some time last season but put up some solid numbers last season. He was a good player who played both guard positions before the Derrick Rose acquisition. Burks was fun to watch last season, but I see his usage being dropped this season. The Knicks currently have 8 guards on their roster to open the season. RJ Barrett will have to play SF this season because of how many guards we have. I see Burks playing fewer minutes this season, which will result in a worse season.
What Needs To Happen?:
What needs to happen this season is RJ Barrett has to be a more consistent scorer and needs to get his average PPG above 20. I know he has a lot of talent around him this season, and that will make it harder for him to score this season, but I want to see RJ make that next step in his career. Ever since Barrett joined the NBA he has been disrespected and it’s crazy. From not making All-Rookies to missing prominent websites top 25 under 25. I don’t know what it is about people hating on RJ, maybe its a Knicks thing, but RJ needs to shut up the haters and show how good of a talent he truly is.
What Cannot Happen?:
Thibs cannot do what he did last season. Last season he did what he always does and overuse his players. There is no need for Randle and Barrett to average over 34 minutes per game. We need to lessen the usage of our star players and depend on the solid bench we have. I am scared because Thibs has already done this during the preseason, but I just have to hope he stops it soon.
Knicks Record: 48-34
The Knicks are going to have another good season, and they could have easily done this last season if there were more games. Regardless the Knicks are going to be competing in a top-heavy Eastern Conference and finish 5th in the East. I have them behind the Nets, Bucks, Bulls, and 76ers, but you can check out my full NBA Season prediction here.
So there we are. Do I think the Knicks are going to win the NBA Championship? Sadly, no. There are a lot of better teams in the NBA, but the Knicks are still young. They have the 4th youngest roster in the NBA with an average age of 24.1. That’s real young and the Knicks are going to be the real deal in years to come. For now, they will be a fun team to watch and as the title say, I am a proud New York Knicks fan.
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