The season is over, the pain lingers, and it’s time to look ahead to figure out how the Knicks can avoid replicating the frustration of falling to the Pacers yet again.
This time, New York made it a round further before suffering the same result as last season, and it became apparent as the Eastern Conference Finals progressed that this group would have a near impossible time beating the Thunder in the NBA Finals if it were able to outlast Indiana.
After the beatdown the Knicks suffered in game six, Miles McBride noted on multiple occasions that the team was “exposed” for shortcomings that plagued them for much of the season. While they were talented enough to overcome those warts to the point where they reached a place they hadn’t been in 25 years, it couldn’t be masked enough to reach the finals.
So, how can those shortcomings be addressed, and what will it take to get the Knicks over the top? Let’s take a look at the main questions and areas that Leon Rose and company should take a look at this summer.
Tom Thibodeau’s job status
The head coach was a hot-button issue for most of the playoffs in the eyes of Knicks fans, as many lamented Thibodeau’s lack of adjustments despite the team coming two wins shy of reaching the NBA Finals.
In reality, two things can be true. Thibodeau did make adjustments, as was shown in the Pacers series with the starting lineup change and with Landry Shamet and Delon Wright getting more minutes. But, the argument can be made that such changes came too late, as Shamet and Wright were non-factors in games one and two, where the games were so close that they could have made a difference. As for the starting five, Thibs did make a change, but seemingly long after it was apparent that the Knicks’ starting five for much of the season statistically were not getting the job done.
In the case against Thibodeau, he could have made other adjustments that were seemingly glaring. Why not try Deuce McBride in the starting five alongside Jalen Brunson? Why not stagger Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns’ minutes more? And as for Brunson and Towns, why not tweak the offensive structure to maximize the potential of that duo, and capitalize on Towns’ 3-point shooting rather than using him as little more than a floor spacer at times?
If Thibodeau (and Towns) are still here next season, there will have to be more of an emphasis on getting the two stars involved together on offense, as the amount of assists from Brunson to Towns being counted on one hand in the postseason is something that needs to change.
What to do about KAT?
Towns is due over $50 million next season, and he was basically a zero in game six. That came just two nights after he was the leading force behind New York keeping its season alive at MSG in game five. Such is conundrum when it comes to Towns, who showed his ultimate highs and infuriating lows in his debut season with the Knicks.
Now comes the question, does Leon Rose look to deal Towns this summer? Did he see enough to believe that Towns isn’t the star to be paired with Brunson that can win a title? Will he try to trade the All-Star just one year after bringing him in via a blockbuster deal? Can he even find a willing suitor if he decides to move on?
It should be noted that Towns overall had a solid series against Indiana. He finished with the highest plus/minus of any Knicks starter in the series. But his defense was abysmal at times, particularly in game six, where his 3-point defense killed New York on nearly every possession. Rose will have to find some moves to help the team’s defense around Towns and Brunson, if Towns sticks around, and if Thibodeau is still here, he will have to ponder some rotational adjustments to mask Towns’ defensive deficiencies, or find a way to get him to buy into the defensive scheme. As for the offensive end, the Knicks have to get him more involved from the perimeter, and maximize what makes him great.
Add another ball handler
The criticism Brunson began to hear from some corners of the Knicks fanbase in the Eastern Conference Finals was frankly stunning. He is the only player on the team that can seemingly generate offense on his own, and the only true ball handler to get defenses moving and potentially out of position. To put up the numbers he did was certainly an achievement, even if his play in game six left something to be desired.
But Brunson being the lone ball handler is a problem, and this could be the Knicks’ top priority in terms of making roster changes. Thibodeau not having McBride start over Hart to give New York another option aside from Brunson to bring the ball up was puzzling, but if he likes McBride off the bench, the Knicks might need to add another guard with handles to take some of the pressure off of Brunson. It became very apparent against Indiana, as other starters like OG Anunoby cannot be trusted to create off the bounce.
The upcoming Mikal Bridges dilemma
The player that Rose and company felt could be the final piece to upend the Celtics and emerge from the Eastern Conference was arguably as polarizing as Towns in his debut season with the Knicks. Bridges showed flashes of his expected defensive brilliance in the playoffs (see games one and two against Boston), but overall, he was a mainly average defender throughout the season, and his offense was sorely lacking.
Bridges never showed a willingness to absorb contact and get to the rim, and his 3-point shooting wasn’t nearly good enough. But he is also a free agent at the end of next season, meaning the two sides can begin to discuss an extension.
Do the Knicks believe Bridges will get back to the player he was with Phoenix and Brooklyn having had a year to adjust to his new surroundings? Will he justify the five first-round picks surrendered to bring him aboard? That will be a pressing issue for Rose to sort through this summer, as the Knicks clearly need more efficient shooters to help Brunson, as both Bridges and Anunoby did not shoot efficiently enough against Indiana.