Got to beat the best to become the best… but you also have to get there first.
By trading for Karl-Anthony Towns, the New York Knicks, at least in the eyes of some, have inched closer to winning their first championship in over five decades. And in doing so, they’ve had one team in mind: the Boston Celtics. Being well aware that any road to the Larry O’Brien trophy likely has to go through Boston, the Knicks front office has unsubtly spent the majority of the last year completely retooling the roster to match up with the Celtics while also trying to create a team centered around Jalen Brunson’s strengths and weaknesses.
It started when they traded RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickly for OG Anunoby. While the Knicks and their decision makers likely felt that the roster they had before that was a solid one capable of competing, it’s also likely that it was the acquisition of Anunoby, and the play of the team immediately after that trade, that signified the team’s readiness to start evolving into a contender. That, along with Brunson’s ascension from an All-Star level player to a top 10 level player, must’ve given the always calculated and long-term thinking Leon Rose the confidence to start getting ready to push his chips all in.
That eventually led to a blockbuster trade this offseason that landed them Mikal Bridges at the cost of five first-round picks. The addition of Bridges gives New York two elite wing defenders with size and length, which is a bare minimum if you are to construct a team capable of defeating the Celtics. But even then, at that point, the team didn’t necessarily look like a team created specifically to beat Boston per se.
But when the Knicks traded for the aforementioned Towns late Friday night, it became clearer than ever that New York was looking north at their Atlantic division rivals. Towns’ ability as one of, if not, the best shooting big men of all time gives the Knicks versatility in the styles and schemes they can utilize—something that we’ve seen become very important for a deep playoff run.
This trade allows the Knicks to play a five-out scheme, something that Boston just did maybe better than anyone ever has. And it’s an important point because not all teams can do this efficiently. Now, New York can. And they’ll likely be among the best in the league at doing so.
With the newly gained ability to play five out to match Boston’s offensive firepower, the elite defensive wing tandem of Anunoby, and Bridges, and an All-NBA level scorer and creator in Brunson, New York has constructed a team that now has a shot at taking down, or at least pushing the Celtics.
But during this ongoing process of trying to become the Celtics beaters, the Knicks have opened themselves up to weaknesses. Nobody will call Tom Thibodeau, or a team lead by him soft. And the team still has guys like Josh Hart who aren’t afraid to get into a scuffle. But when they traded away Randle and DiVincenzo, they also traded away two of their tougher players who personified the ethos Thibodeau so often tries to instill.
They now have guys like Bridges, and Anunoby, who aren’t pushovers, but also aren’t really instigators or aggressors- something that teams like the Knicks occasionally need and benefit from. And then there’s Towns, who, sometimes unfairly, gets labeled as being soft and sensitive. While New York may have gotten better and their ceiling and potential to beat teams like Boston look more impressive today, teams are undoubtedly also taking note of the fact that they also look a bit less tough and intimidating.
There’s also the fact that Mitchell Robinson, who can be penciled in under the tough category, may not even be on the roster when the season starts. As has been reported, the Knicks are taking calls on Robinson. And as sad as it may be, it is understandable.
The center, who is now the longest-tenured Knick, is beloved by fans and is an incredible defender and rebounder. Robinson is very valuable when on the floor. There is absolutely no doubt about that, and anyone arguing his legitimacy as one of the most impactful centers in the league doesn’t know basketball. But the old adage of “availability is the best ability” really rings true with Robinson. Regardless of how good he is when healthy, it’s fair for the Knicks front office to view Robinson as a risk who can’t be relied on to be consistently available. And from an asset management standpoint, that can be looked at as an unwanted commodity.
That being said, trading away Robinson could open up a new can of worms that, much like the departure of Randle and DiVincenzo, make them worse in certain aspects. Robinson’s potential departure could spell trouble for the Knicks’ ability to beat other Eastern Conference teams. We all saw just how good Robinson and his rebounding was against the Cavaliers in the first round of the 2023 playoffs, and we witnessed just how impactful he was defensively against the Sixers’ Joel Embiid just a few months ago. Trading him away and potentially not getting back another traditional big man capable of manning the paint could mean having a more difficult time with teams like the Bucks, who employ Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the aforementioned Embiid-lead Sixers.
Now, the Knicks are likely aware of this but may just not care, or they at least think that they are still a better team overall. They may also still have other plans to address those needs. And to be fair, it’s important to note that Towns did do a great job on Nikola Jokic during last season’s playoff run.
Regardless, two things are true. As things stand, the Knicks are better equipped than maybe anyone in the league to beat the Celtics. They are one of just a handful of teams that have the offensive firepower to match the Celtics while also rostering two elite wing defenders that can stop, or at least slow down, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown. But they have also left themselves vulnerable to a new flurry of problems, like a lack of depth, a lack of perceived toughness, and a potential lack of a real answer to some of the league’s best centers.