Things Knicks fans should be thankful for this year

Happy Thanksgiving!

New York Knicks fans have had an up-and-down 2024.

The year started as good as anyone could have hoped in January when the Knicks had one of the best months in franchise history. Shortly after, though, fans were reminded about just how unlucky this franchise has been in the past when they lost OG Anunoby, and Julius Randle for an extended period.

Thankfully, the team, led by Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart, and Isaiah Hartenstein came together to keep the team afloat long enough for Anunoby to return. And when he did, the team picked up right where they left off.

In the first round of the playoffs, they defeated the Sixers in an entertaining six-game series that saw unforgettable moments from the Villanova trio of Brunson, DiVincenzo, and Hart. After they sent Joel Embiid and the Sixers packing, they pushed the Pacers to seven games despite the team having to endure multiple injuries, but ultimately came short leading to mixed emotions ranging from pride and sadness to frustration.

This summer continued what was a hectic first half of the year as they re-signed Anunoby, traded a treasure chest of first-round picks for Mikal Bridges, and then made the blockbuster trade of the offseason by acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns.

All of that led to a lot of happiness, question marks, frustration, and more than anything, change.

And so far through the first five weeks of the season, it’s been a lot more of the same hectic up-and-down nature of the NBA season we are all used to.

We’ve been blessed with great moments like the statement wins against the Pacers, Suns, and Nuggets, as well as the rise of Anunoby, and Towns. We’ve also had some frustrating moments that came in the form of bad losses to the Bulls and Jazz, Bridges’ poor start, and injuries to Precious Achiuwa and Mitchell Robinson.

But through it all, we still have a lot to be thankful for. Here are the top things all Knicks fans should be grateful for today.

Be thankful for… Jalen Brunson’s leadership

Does anything more need to be said? Brunson changed the trajectory of this franchise when he signed here two years ago, and he’s never looked back. He has his off nights like any other star in the league, but the newest captain of the Knicks has provided the city, the franchise, and the fan base with a calming presence we haven’t seen in decades. And we still somehow take him for granted at times.

Despite having to deal with point guards the like of Shane Larkin, Dennis Smith Jr., Elfrid Payton, Toney Douglas, Beno Udrih, Jerian Grant, Langston Galloway, Jarrett Jack, Brandon Jennings, Frank Ntilikina, Ramon Sessions, Trey Burke, and Emmanuel Mudiay, fans still find ways to nitpick Brunson’s game and stats. But all he does is put his head down, get to work, and produce.

The 28-year-old is averaging 24.9 PPG and 7.9 APG, and is just a few points and assists from joining Nikola Jokic as the only player in the NBA to average 25 PPG and 8 APG.

Be thankful we have a point guard and a captain who is so good, humble, and still improving. Because we all know, it could be worse. A lot worse.

2024 NBA Playoffs - Philadelphia 76ers v New York Knicks

Be thankful for… OG Anunoby’s two-way stardom

I won’t go too much into detail on how Anunoby and the Knicks have unlocked the forward’s offensive game as I did so here on Tuesday.

Just know that it wasn’t long ago that people thought that Anunoby’s latest contract extension was an overpay. Not only does it look like it wasn’t, there’s an argument to be made that through 18 games, it’s actually a value contract.

OG has been one of the league’s best defenders and disruptors thus far, he’s looked more aggressive, efficient, and productive than he ever has offensively, and most importantly, he’s been healthy.

Who knows where the Knicks would be right now if it weren’t for Anunoby’s contributions on both sides of the ball . . . so we should all be grateful that he re-signed, took his game to another level, and has been healthy.

Be thankful for… Karl-Anthony Towns’ arrival in New York

This whole list won’t just be a list of all the players, I promise. But we cannot sit here and talk about what and who to be thankful for right now without bringing up Towns and what he has done for this offense. His defense has been—and likely will remain—a talking point, but his ability to hit deep threes, space the floor for his teammates, and keep the offense going with his quick decisions and timely passing cannot be understated.

For as good as the aforementioned two have been so far, Towns has been just as important.

Be thankful for . . . the new-look offense as a whole

Thanks in large part to the three players mentioned above, the Knicks are currently top five in a lot of offensive metrics, and it’s in a much more aesthetically pleasing style than fans are used to.

Over the last couple of seasons, New York has flirted with being a top-10 offense, but a lot of it was buoyed by one-on-one shot creation, tough shot-making, and elite offensive rebounding allowing for the second-chance opportunities to cover up the glaring holes in their offense.

This season, they have combined elite spacing, great passing, quick decision-making, and amazing shot-making and it should only keep getting better from here on out as they continue to gel and Bridges figures things out.

So far this season, the Knicks have nine games where the team has had 30 or more assists. To put that into perspective, they had 10 all of last season, eight two years ago, and hadn’t posted up nine such outings since 1995 before they did it last year.

Be thankful for… playing in the Eastern Conference

If the Knicks played in the Western Conference, there would be a bit more worry surrounding the slow and inconsistent slow that they have gotten off to.

Thankfully, they play in an Eastern Conference where the Bucks, Heat, Pacers, and Sixers have all also stumbled out of the gates, buying New York some more time.

With the majority of the conference below .500, the Knicks thankfully have a bit more room for error.

Be thankful for… the front office

It’s hard to bring up Brunson, Anunoby, and Towns without mentioning the amazing job that this front office has done.

Growing up as a Knicks fan in the 2000s, I was traumatized by the awful win-now, name-driven decisions that the old regimes had made—so much that I, like so many other Knicks fans, became desensitized to bad free agent signings and head-scratching trades.

Now, the team we all root for has one of the smartest front offices in the Association and one that has proven time and time again that they deserve our trust. Whether it’s their ability to plan years in advance, or their talent for navigating the salary cap to maximize what they can do with their money, they have been nothing short of amazing, and for that, we are very lucky.

Be thankful for… having real expectations

The Knicks having the record they have now can be a bit frustrating given what we all want, hope, and expect for and from this group of players.

That being said, many of us remember how boring the seasons were when you entered the campaign expecting a sub .500 record with not much to play for, and the talk of the town was around the draft by the time the All-Star break came around.

With expectations come some disappointments and frustrations, but it’s a lot better than having zero expectations, constantly losing while playing for nothing, and being happy with it.