The New York Knicks do not appear to be true championship contenders in the eyes of one pundit.
Do the Knicks have enough years together as a unit?
WFAN Sports Radio’s Keith McPherson recently said on his Audacy platform that the Knicks don’t stand a great shot of weathering potential storms of adversity due to the length of time that their core has been together for:
“You’re not winning with a team comprised of all guys that you did not draft,” Keith said. “You’re not winning with a team that you just put together this summer. You add Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, you’re still figuring it out. They’re gonna have an injury. They’re gonna play a lot of minutes.
“They’re one starter away from losing their identity and not knowing what to do…whether it’s Towns, Brunson, or Bridges. You’re not gonna be able to get to the Eastern Conference Final or NBA Finals because you’re gonna be facing team in those rounds that have homegrown talent that they developed…and you need to have a bench.’
Knicks are up against many East teams with plenty of experience
MvPherdon made a point too. While New York is teeming with talent in their eight-man core rotation, their overall unit has only been together for roughly half a season now.
When pitted against the powerhouses in the East, the Knicks would face several teams with ensembles that have been together for years. Take the defending champion Boston Celtics, for example. If starting point guard Jrue Holiday were to go down with an injury, Payton Pritchard would be able to fill his shoes. He’s played great this season with 14.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game and knows their system to a tee.
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The same can be said about teams like the No. 1-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers and the Milwaukee Bucks. It would need to be seen if a Knicks team that added OG Anunoby midway through last season, as well as bench stars Cameron Payne and Landry Shamet this season, would have enough continuity to operate smoothly should any of their guys have to miss time.
If last season proved anything, it was that the Knicks were well-equipped to wage a postseason run, even after All-Star Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson went down for the year with varying injuries. Their upgraded cast may exceed last year’s team and the Eastern Conference Semifinals they reached in pursuit of a title come June.