It’s time. The regular season has finally come to an end. After 82 games and 50 wins, the Knicks finish the season as the 2nd seed in the Eastern Conference. This team is, far and away, one of my favorite teams I have ever cheered for. The list isn’t long, but they are for sure up there. What makes me love this team is that the Knicks didn’t duck the smoke. While the Bucks and Cavaliers were playing chicken shit basketball, the Knicks wanted the 2nd seed, and they did not care who they play. Sure, the Magic and Pacers are much easier competition, but let’s not pretend the Cavs can’t lose to Orlando, and without Giannis, the Bucks can easily lose to Indiana.
But with the Knicks, I’m happy where we are. They played their hearts out all season long. They faced so many injuries throughout the season. The Knicks could have given up and died, but this team fights. When the Knicks were without Randle, OG, and Robinson, they continued to play as hard as any other team in the league. This team is all heart, and that’s what I love about them the most.
Season End Grades:
Knicks: A
Jalen Brunson: A+
Donte DiVincenzo: A
Isaiah Hartenstein: A
Josh Hart: A-
OG Anunoby: A-
Deuce McBride: B+
Precious Achiuwa: B+
Mitchell Robinson: B-
Julius Randle: C+
Bojan Bogdanovic: C
Alec Burks: C-
Jericho Sims: C-
End-of-Season Awards:
Team MVP: Jalen Brunson
There’s no shock here. Jalen Brunson is far and away the best player on this team. He led this team from the start of the season to the end, and without him, the Knicks would be nothing. Thank you, Jalen Brunson. I speak for the entire Knicks fan base. Anything you need, we have your back for the rest of eternity.
My Favorite Player of the Year: Josh Hart
Josh Hart deserves a lot of credit for what he does for this team. He had a slow start to the season, but in the last four months, he really turned things around for the Knicks. Hart being second in rebounds for guards is why I love him so much. He will always bring that extra gear and play harder than anyone on the court. Josh Hart has become irreplaceable for this team.
Disrespected Player of the Year: Isaiah Hartenstein
It feels like all season long, Isaiah Hartenstein has been disrespected by the media and other fan bases. I’ll write about this more in my Knicks/Sixers preview later in this blog, but I feel like I’m always seeing people ask, “Who’s going to stop this player?” Hartenstein ranked top 10 in all of the following stats: 244 Offensive Rebounds (5th), I2.8 Defensive Box Plus/Minus (3rd), 136.2 Offensive Rating (2nd), 108.1 Defensive Rating (5th), 14.4 Offensive Rebound Pct (2nd), and 2.3 Steal Pct (8th). Hartenstein is a legitimate center, that other teams should be more aware of how good he is. Also, the most disrespectful thing that happens to I-Hart is the mispronunciation of his last name. So many media members never pronounce his name correctly, and it pisses me off. It just shows how much these people don’t actually watch the games.
Unexpected Player of the Year: Deuce McBride
Holy moly, where did this guy come from? When the Knicks traded Immanuel Quickley, one of my biggest questions was how the Knicks would replace his offensive production. Quick was a great player to have off the bench, but McBride lived up to what the Knicks needed out of their new primary backup point guard. McBride’s first two seasons saw him scoring only 3 PPG while barely getting any playing time. McBride is not as good as Quiclkey when it comes to scoring, but his defense is what makes McBride so valuable. McBride can defend any guard when needed, and he has flashes when it comes to scoring.
Celebrity Fan of the Year: Ben Stiller
If you don’t know about Ben Stiller being the king of Knicks fans, you need to get out from under your rock. Ben Stiller attends so many Knicks home games, but if he is unable to attend or the Knicks are on the road, Stiller is active on Twitter. Ben Stiller is what every Knicks fan should strive to be—a positive force who interacts with all Knicks fans and shows his team spirit. Tracey Morgan is a close second, but Stiller is the newly crowned king of Knicks Twitter, so I gave him this enormous honor.
Bozo of the Year: Me
When the Knicks decided to trade RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, I was distraught and furious with the Knicks. I couldn’t believe Leon Rose was traded to intricate parts of this team, but I need to trust Leon Rose more. He has yet to fail me. OG Anunony has been a great acquisition and made this team leaps better than where they were before.
Now, let’s get to the playoffs.
The Knicks did not duck the smoke. They were not afraid of any potential opponent. I understand that the 76ers and Heat are really good teams, but guess what? So are the Knicks. You don’t win 50 games just to be scared of who you play in the playoffs. If the Knicks can’t beat the 76ers, then they don’t deserve to be in the playoffs in the first place. In order to win a championship, you need to win four series. So let the Bucks and Cavaliers play scared basketball. The Knicks don’t run away from challenges. They faced the hardest tests all season long and ended up with the second-best record in the conference.
Looking at Philly, the Knicks face a challenge. Joel Embiid is an excellent player. Embiid will be a dominant force all series long. He will continue to bait the refs and get bullshit foul calls. That’s what he does, but the Knicks have two good defensive centers. So many media members have been saying, “How are the Knicks going to stop Embiid?” Well, they have Isaiah Hartenstein, Mitchell Robinson, and even OG Anunoby helping out. They are three good defensive players, all capable of disrupting Joel Embiid. It’s not going to be a walk in the park for the 76ers.
My prediction for the series is that the Knicks will win in 6 games. I think a lot of Knicks fans are getting cocky, thinking we can win this in 4 or 5 games. The 76ers are a solid team who will keep most games in this series close. But the Knicks’ defense will lead them to win this series in 6 games. It will be close games, but the Knicks’ defense should be able to overcome the Sixers. Also, Embiid did not look fully healthy against Miami. The only way the Sixers will win this series is if they can get their team’s total effort outside Embiid and Maxey, but as I said before, the Knicks’ defense is too good to lose this.
I will most likely be writing a blog after every game, so make sure to follow me on Twitter to see when my blog is released.
Until next time, let’s go Knicks!
SmallDog Sports 
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