Last season the New York Knicks were able to surprise the basketball world, as they went on to capture the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. They even knocked off the Donovan Mitchell-led Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs. Headed into the offseason, New York fans were excited to see how the team would build off their most successful season in over a decade.
One of the best times of the year is the NBA offseason, as the league is always shaken up during the summer. Damian Lillard was recently traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in a blockbuster deal that sent Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Shortly after, the Boston Celtics decided to make a move for Holiday themselves. Now, the Eastern Conference is looking like it's going through the Bucks and the Celtics. Giannis Antetokounmpo's future in Milwaukee has been up in the air, but it seems like that's over now that they brought in the seven-time All-Star.
The Celtics are even better than they were a season ago when they finished second in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, in New York, the Knicks added 26-year-old wing Donte DiVincenzo.
After showing the NBA world that they could be a force in the East, they didn't make any big splashy moves. Jalen Brunson emerged as one of the better point guards in the league, and Julius Randle made his second All-NBA team in the last three seasons. They'll be hoping the two of them can be better this year.
Where do the Knicks stackup in the East?
The Knicks had something cooking last season but the offseason left many wondering if they did enough to build off of that. Adding DiVincenzo could help New York tremendously, as they lacked two areas where he thrives — perimeter defense and 3-point shooting.
Based on the moves that Boston and Milwaukee made to improve their title chances have shrunk New York's title hopes drastically. Last season they had a path to reaching the NBA Finals, as they were upset by the Miami Heat in the second round.
If they faced Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals, they would have had a legitimate opportunity to shock the world. This is why many thought this would be a perfect offseason for the Knicks to make a big move.
Adding DiVincenzo is a good move, but not a huge one. It might not even be enough to move them out of the No. 5 seed and they will have a much lesser chance of actually winning the most important series if they could get out of the first round this year.
New York will have a very deep roster, as their bench will be one of the better ones in the league. Immanuel Quickley and Josh Hart will be factors, and DiVincenzo should help with the second unit's floor spacing.
In 72 games with the Golden State Warriors last season, DiVincenzo shot 39.7 percent from behind the arc. It should also give head coach Tom Thibodeau more flexibility for his rotations, as Brunson could use an elite catch-and-shooter.
New York has a deep roster and two legit starts in Brunson and Randle. If R.J. Barrett can improve in year five, then the Knicks could have three. Regardless of that though, they do have a deeper roster than they did a season ago.
Now that Dame and Giannis are paired up with the Bucks, and the Celtics have taken Holiday, winning the Eastern Conference is going to be a longshot for the Knicks in the upcoming season.
