The New York Knicks are facing a season filled with high expectations, something the franchise is not accustomed to. Major sportsbooks such as BetMGM and Fanduel project the Knicks to finish second in the Eastern Conference, with an over/under win total of 53.5. This is a significant change for a team that has only exceeded 53 wins in a season once since 1997. Additionally, the Knicks haven’t reached a conference final since 2000, making it the third-longest drought in the East.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau has been instrumental in the team’s recent success. He is the first coach since Jeff Van Gundy to lead the Knicks to three playoff trips. Thibodeau’s leadership, combined with the addition of Mikal Bridges, has fueled the gambling world’s enthusiasm for the Knicks. Last season, the team won 50 games and reached Game 7 of the second round.
Another key addition to the team is Julius Randle, a three-time All-Star who missed the final three months of last season due to a dislocated shoulder. The Knicks also have high aspirations internally. Jalen Brunson, who is considered the best Knicks point guard since Clyde Frazier, expressed the team’s goal of getting past the second round during his captaincy ceremony. Brunson finished fifth in NBA MVP voting last season.
Despite the optimism surrounding the Knicks, there are some concerns. They lost starting center Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency and didn’t adequately replace him. The team also has injury-prone starters, Mitchell Robinson and OG Anunoby, and Randle is coming off shoulder surgery. However, the Knicks do have depth, with a strong top-3 off the bench consisting of Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo, and Miles McBride.
While the Knicks have exceeded expectations under Thibodeau so far, the bar has been set higher this season. The team is aiming for the conference finals, but it won’t be an easy task. They will have to outperform teams like the revamped Sixers, the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Bucks, the resilient Heat, and other rising teams in the East.
In the past, the Knicks have often fallen short of expectations. However, under Thibodeau, they have shown improvement. In his first season, they were predicted to be in the lottery but finished fourth in the East. Now, with the expectations of finishing second in the conference, anything less than a conference finals appearance would be seen as a failure.
Overall, the Knicks are entering the season with higher expectations and a newfound sense of optimism. While the road to the conference finals won’t be easy, the team has the potential to make significant strides under Thibodeau’s leadership and the addition of key players like Bridges and Randle. Fans and bettors alike will be eagerly watching to see if the Knicks can finally break their long-standing playoff drought and achieve success in the postseason.
