Jude Magnotti ’26
EE Sports Columnist
The New York Knicks have certainly not had the best go of things recently. Over the past two decades the Knicks have had a few talented teams, but unfortunately they have never been able to replicate the same success they had in the Ewing and Frazier errors. They have blown several playoff leads, only won one playoff series, and have only made the playoffs 4 times in the last two decades.
The high point for them has been the 2013 season in which they made it to the second round with Carmelo Anthony at the helm. Even just two years ago the Knicks had a shocking season in which they got to the playoffs on the back of an all-star season by Julius Randle.They would have won this series as well if it had not been for Trae Young.
However, last season was back to what Knicks fans were used to in which Julius Randle took a massive step back and they missed the playoffs.
Over the off-season, fans demanded serious changes be made. They needed a second star to pair with Julius Randle, so they went out and signed Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson.
Brunson had been very good working alongside Luka Doncic but had so much more potential if he just had his own team. Many people believed that the Knicks had overpaid for Brunson but those people have been proven dead wrong. Brunson has been everything the Knicks could have wanted and is averaging 23 points and 6 assists a game.
The Knicks are currently 5th in the Eastern Conference and are trying to make a push for a top 3 seed. The signing of Brunson, the trade for Josh Hart, and the development of Immanul Quickley have all made a huge impact on the Knicks success. This, combined with a bounce-back season from Julius Randle has led the Knicks to many exciting moments including a massive 9 game winning streak with multiple overtime victories over teams like the Celtics and the Heat.
As the season winds down, it is very likely that the Knicks will at least make the playoffs. However, what is different about this run is they actually have a chance to win a playoff series. The Knicks have shown all season that they are capable of battling with some of the powerhouses in the East and definitely have the potential to make it past the first round and possibly even go to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Unfortunately, I can not see them going farther than this. The Knicks are an extremely talented team with a deep bench, and at least one or two very solid players at every position. However, the Knicks lack just one thing that all other contending teams have: A Superstar.
History has shown us that all superstars need help to win, but this also applies vice versa. Every team needs at least one superstar player to build around or they will be unable to keep up with major teams. As good as Brunson and Randle are, they are stars, not superstars.
Many people believe that R.J. Barret could one day develop into that superstar, but I just can’t see that ever happening. R.J. is talented, but he does not excel at any one area. Granted he is not terrible at any one area but he’s just stuck in the middle being a mid role player.
However, a superstar is not completely out of the question for New York. With the impressive season they have put together, it will likely attract more valuable free agents. There is not anyone quite like that this year but in the future several superstars stuck on bad teams might want to move.
Not only is New York an excellent city to live and play in, but they are the third richest franchise in all sports (yes this includes soccer as well as every major sports team in the U.S. and the world). They can easily pay any superstar that comes their way and with Brunson and Randle locked in for the foreseeable future, this core is definitely something they can build around.
However, for now the Knicks just winning a playoff series could be huge for New York. They have not won a playoff series in a decade and Knicks fans would be ecstatic to see their team compete. The Knicks may not quite be a true contender right now, but look out because in a couple years this team could be extremely dangerous.
After being the punchline of the league for so long, the Knicks are finally back in business. The only question is will they falter and choke like they have in the past? Or will they finally prevail and bring a championship back to the Garden? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure: the NBA is a better league when the Knicks are contending.