The New York Knicks are one of the most popular franchises in NBA history but have not won a championship since 1973. They currently have the fifth-longest title drought in the NBA but luckily for all Knicks fans, they have their best roster since 1999.
There are so many factors in winning a championship the list includes things like health, coaching, team chemistry, general managers building a roster, and above all the talent of the players. A few of these reasons are why the Knicks haven't won a title since 1973 and only appeared in two NBA Finals since then in 1994 and 1999.
With horrible management throughout the majority of the century, the Knicks have finally built themselves a really great team. Even though many people may count them out as a legit contender in the Eastern Conference, here are five reasons the Knicks could win a title in 2024.
Why the Knicks could win a title this season: 5. A great bench
The way the Knicks are currently constructed, most people would think they would need to get a superstar to have a chance at winning the championship. Assuming the Knicks stick with what they have, they have one of the best benches in the NBA.
The Knicks are more than likely going to use the same starting five and four-man bench they used for the majority of last season. This means that their four bench players will be Isaiah Hartenstein, newly acquired Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart, and led by Immanuel Quickley.
All of these guys were primarily bench players last season and averaged a combined 39.5 points. This would have been enough for a top-five scoring bench last season. Not only are they great on the offensive side of the ball they are great on defense too.
When Josh Hart got to the Knicks he averaged 1.4 steals and seven rebounds coming off the bench while also having one of the best defensive ratings in the league. Hartenstein had a top 20 defensive rating in basketball. Quickly had one of the best defensive ratings as a guard in the league.
The addition of Donte DiVincenzo is a huge help for the Knicks because they finished with 19th-best 3-point shooting percentage in the league last season. Divenczo is a 40 percent shooter from deep and helps with the Knicks' spacing as Hart and Hartenstein can't shoot.
The Knicks bench success is led by Quickley who finished second in the Sixth Man of the Year voting. Last season he averaged 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1 steal on 45/37/82 shooting splits. In the postseason he took a step back where he averaged 9 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1 assists, on 35/24/85 shooting splits.
Quickley's playoff performance last season played a huge part in the Knicks being upset by the eight seed Miami Heat. In the regular season, Quickley's play was a reason they were the fifth seed last season and could be a reason the Knicks win a title in 2024.
Why the Knicks could win a title this season: 4. Tom Thibodeau
Tom Thibodeau "Thibs" has been one of the best coaches in basketball over the last 11 seasons. He is very passionate on every single possession making sure his players play hard and smart. It is why he has had 57 percent winning percentage during his career.
What has made "Thibs" one of the most successful coaches his is defensive mindset and the intensity he puts on his players to play defense. He has been the coach of Defensive Player of the Year, Joakim Noah, while also the coach of eight top-8 defenses.
Looking at the Knicks roster, it's a gold mine for his coaching style. Mitchell Robinson is one of the best rim protectors in all of basketball. Quentin Grimesis, Josh Hart, Immanuel Quickley are all great permeter defenders. Isaiah Hartenstein is another great defender and Julius Randle is a tank in the paint.
This Knicks team is fully capable of having a top-10 defense in the league. What makes it all the more reasonable that they will be is that the players have bought into "Thibs' ' system. The Knicks did so when he got there in 2021 where they made their first playoff appearance since 2013.
Thibs is a great coach because he made changes throughout the season. The biggest was the switch to the nine-man rotation. Through the Knicks' first 23 games, they had a 10-13 record. Then Thibs made the switch to a primary nine-man rotation and the Knicks finished the season 37-23 which was the 6th best record in the NBA for that stretch.
Thibs ability to adapt his rotations and defensive mindset isn't the only thing he does great. Last season the Knicks had the third-best offensive rating in basketball. He did this by making the Knicks play with the fifth-slowest pace, minimizing the turnovers, shooting a lot of 3s despite their low percentage, and rebounding.
Thibs made the Knicks focus on the little things. Winning the turnover battle and having a slow pace limits an opponent's number of possessions giving them less opportunity to score. Shooting 3s is crucial in today's league. Most importantly were great at closing out possessions by grabbing rebounds but also great at second-chance opportunities with offensive rebounds.
Thibs' understanding of adapting his rotation, focus on winning the small battles, and of course effort on defense, makes him a great coach. If he is able to get them to lock down on defense while also playing offense at an efficient level, he could help coach the Knicks to a title in 2024.
Why the Knicks could win a title this season: 3. RJ Barrett
The Knicks drafted RJ Barrett with the third overall pick in 2019 expecting him to be a future star and so far he has not lived up. If the Knicks want to win a championship they're going to need Barrett to play better.
Last season Barrett averaged 19.6 points, 5 rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting 43.4 percent from the field, 31 percent from 3, and 74 percent from the free throw line. He was very inconsistent and there were times it looked like he could score from anywhere and times he couldn't throw a rock into the ocean.
The Knicks should be optimistic about Barrett going into next year because of his play in the playoffs. He averaged 19.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists on 43/38/77 shooting splits and was the Knicks' second-best player. Where he performed the best was the Heat series where he averaged 20.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists on 43/38/78 shooting splits.
Barrett's performance against the Heat and after a very solid performance in the FIBA World Cup should be a sign of things to come. Over the last stretch of games he has played, he has been much more efficient and effective.
If Barrett is able to get his efficency up from last season where he averages similar numbers but has much better shooting he becomes a very good third option. If you look at some of the recent championship winners, all of them have had good to great third options.
If the Knicks have any hope of winning a title next season, RJ Barrett needs to have by far the best season of his career.
Why the Knicks could win a title this season: 2. A weak East
Another factor that plays into winning a championship are the teams you end up playing in the playoffs. Looking at what the Eastern Conference is so far, there are maybe only two teams that are viable championship contenders.
The teams that are in contention to win the east outside of the Knicks are, the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Miami Heat. Every one of these teams has had major flaws.
The 76ers have the reigning MVP but having James Harden was a huge help in their 54-win season. Since James Harden wants out, the 76ers may end up taking a massive hit as team chemistry could be off and cause the 76ers to have a bad season.
The Cleveland Cavaliers were a dark horse team last year to come out the east but the Knicks game in and won in a convincing five games. The Cavaliers did make some nice additions to their roster but it's not enough for them to contend for a title.
The Miami Heat beat the Knicks in the playoffs but what can't be overlooked is the fact that five out the six games went down to the wire. The Knicks second-best player had a hurt ankle. If the Heat don't make a trade for Damian Lillard, the odds of them coming out of the East aren't as high.
The two top dogs in the east are the Celtics and Bucks. Both of them have their problems as both teams lost to the Heat. The Celtics aren't going to be the same defensive team and they did lose to the Knicks three times last season. The Bucks haven't been able to get the job done since 2021, losing in the first round of the playoffs last season.
The Knicks are one of the most underrated teams going into next season. When Tom Thibodeau made the switch to a nine-man rotation the Knicks had the sixth-best record in basketball and fourth-best in the East. After they traded for Josh Hart, the Knicks had the third-best record in the NBA and second-best in the East.
The Knicks are a very good basketball team and can absolutely contend with the best teams in the east. If they can get the right matchups and take advantage of their opponents flaws they could end up in the finals where anything could happen.
Why the Knicks could win a title this season: 1. Jalen Brunson
The saying goes that you win championships with superstars and that is what the Knicks need Jalen Brunson to be next season. When the Knicks signed him last offseason, many thought they overpaid him but he proved his doubters wrong and was the biggest reason for the Knicks success.
Last season he averaged a career-high 24 points, 3.5 rebounds, a career-high 6.2 assists, shooting 49.1 percent from the field, a career-high 41.6 percent from 3, and 82.9 percent from the free throw line. Then in the playoffs, he upped his play averaging 27.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.5 steals.
It is not unreasonable at all to think that Brunson can't up his play for next season. His numbers were low because he got off to a slow start. In the last 41 games he played, he averaged 26.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 6.1 assists on 51/46/80 shooting splits where the Knicks 26-15, which is 53 wins over the course of a regular season.
Brunson has played at a superstar level for the majority of a season where he should once again, play like that for the entirety of next season. He has proven he can compete with the best as he has outplayed Donovan Mitchell in back to back playoff series and outplayed Jimmy Butler in the second round.
The biggest reason the Knicks were so successful was because of Jalen Brunson becoming a star. He has great footwork and touch at the rim, is a great shooter and great playmaker. He was a reason Julius Randle had a bounce back year and was an All-NBA player again.
For next season the Knicks need Randle to maintain his level of play, RJ Barrett to be a little bit better, Immanuel Quickley to be a Sixth Man of the Year candidate, their role players to stay energized and consistent and Tom Thibodeau to be a great coach to have a good season.
The main reason the Knicks could end up winning the championship in 2024, starts and ends with Jalen Brunson being a superstar.
