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Can the NY Knicks Bounce Back in 2022-23?
After another disappointing season in New York, let's take a look at how the Knicks can bounce back for the 2022-23 season
NBA Analysis Network
The New York Knicks will again be picking in the NBA Draft lottery before the 2022-23 season after another disappointing year. After 2020-21 had promised a new dawn, they registered a 37-45 record in 2021-22, missing out on the playoffs and facing yet another major rebuild.
On the plus side, that strong defensive identity has remained, and the emergence of RJ Barrett combined with the promise of Obi Toppin has given fans a reason to be optimistic. But NBA fans using the best NJ sportsbook promos to find value wagers for the 2022-23 season will not be in a hurry to bank on the Knicks at this stage. Clearly, Leon Rose, and Scott Perry have work to do.
As with their New York rivals, the Knicks organization has faced questions over their current coach, but just like the Nets, the Knicks are likely to decide that the pending upheaval in the roster needs to be balanced by some stability in the coaching role.
Tom Thibodeau has twice been Coach of the Year, most notably with the Knicks last season, and has a good rapport with the front office. And it would be widely seen as precipitous for the Knicks to dispense with him after just one season, particularly as he was their first choice in 2020.
But it is worth noting that Thibodeau’s career has featured some quick fallouts, due to both loyalty to certain players and stubbornness over his methods. That was what led to him leaving Chicago in 2015 and he managed only three seasons with the Timberwolves before the tension between him and management became too much. So, while he isn’t going anywhere in the short term, things may change if the Knicks get off to a bad start next season.
In terms of their roster, Julius Randle’s dip in productivity this season is a major issue, especially because they had just signed him to a four-year, $112m extension before the start of the 2021-22 season, which puts him under contract until 2025, with a player option after that.
The late-season rise of Obi Toppin has complicated the issue even more. Toppin was practically faultless on the court in 10 games without Julius Randle this season, averaging 20.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG, and shooting 43.6% 3P. Toppin achieved another career-high in scoring with 42 points in the Knicks’ final game of the season against the Toronto Raptors in Madison Square Garden, after scoring 35 points in the Knicks’ second-to-last game of the season against the Washington Wizards.
Does Toppin’s rise mean the Knicks could be tempted to move their All-Star player before any further decline in his value? Randle’s deal is similar to those of Malcolm Brogdon, Harrison Barnes, and John Collins, so there is a possibility of a deal to be done. Still, dispensing with Randle at this point risks backfiring in spectacular fashion and could be added to the library of recent Knicks trade disasters.
Alternative trade pieces include Derrick Rose, Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel, Kemba Walker, and possibly even Evan Fournier, so there would be options if the Knicks decide to build their roster around Barrett, Toppin, and Immanuel Quickley.
The Knicks are likely to express interest in Chicago Bulls G/F Zach LaVine, who is in free agency. Another name that has been mentioned in connection with the Knicks is Cleveland Cavaliers G Collin Sexton, who is a restricted free agent entering the offseason. LaVine is anticipated to return to the Bulls, but Sexton’s future is uncertain, as the Cavaliers may be forced to part ways with the rookie guard due to budget constraints. Sexton has averaged 20.0 PPG, 3.3 APG, and 45.8 FG% from the field during four seasons with the Cavaliers.
Sexton is exactly the type of offensive weapon the Knicks need in their backcourt with Quickley and Barrett. Still, because there isn’t a lot of high-level talent available in the NBA this summer, the uncertainty surrounding the Knicks roster may not be rectified through free agency this offseason. The Knicks front management may instead debate preserving their cap space and positioning themselves to make serious bids at big names in free agency in 2023.
Above all, the Knicks need a long-term identity. They need to settle on a core of players and get some stability. But in the short term, however, chasing that stability may mean more upheaval, so we could be in for another rollercoaster season at the Garden.
