The New York Knicks are coming off their biggest season of the 21st century, making the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years. Now, the expectations for this upcoming season are sky high.
Knicks face pressure of winning a title next season
NBA analyst Zach Lowe said on his podcast titled “The Zach Lowe Show” that this is the most pressure the team has faced coming into a season since the days of Patrick Ewing.
Delon Wright, NBA: Playoffs-New York Knicks at Indiana Pacers
Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
“This is the most pressure a Knicks team has faced, I’m gonna say, since [Patrick] Ewing’s prime,” Lowe said. “This is the first year in forever where the Knicks legitimately face pressure of like, ‘If you don’t make the Finals, it’s a disappointing season.”
The Knicks made the NBA Finals twice during the Ewing era, once in 1994 and the other in 1999. Unfortunately, they were unable to claim a championship victory in either edition, meaning that they have still not won a title since 1973.
This is the Knicks’ best chance in this century
Furthermore, they haven’t been back to the Finals since that 1999 season. For most of the 21st century, New York was simply a bad team that could never consistently field a competitive roster. The best it got for them before the 2020s was that 2012-13 Carmelo Anthony-led squad, but that team was bounced in the second round by the Indiana Pacers.
Dec 5, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) and New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) react during the second half against the Charlotte Hornets at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
This year, the Knicks are expected to make a run for the Finals given their star-studded roster and lack of elite competition around them. They and the Cleveland Cavaliers are the clear favorites to take control of the East, and New York is expected to take steps forward under a new head coach in Mike Brown.
The hope is that Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns can lead them to success next season. The duo has the capability of being the best scoring tandem in the league, and if they can light up their opponents every night, they’ll be in a good spot to contend.