The New York Knicks have a very deep roster, as they have three guys with experience being a team’s top option on the floor and a bench unit with three more players who have plenty of starting experience. Despite that, the Knicks still need to have all of the pieces clicking together if they want to live up to their high expectations in the 2024-25 season.
It may take some time for everybody to start playing their best basketball, as a handful of players are returning from injuries they suffered last season and Mikal Bridges will have to learn head coach Tom Thibodeau’s system. He will go from being the No. 1 option on the Brooklyn Nets to being the Knicks’ third option, which will likely emulate his Phoenix Suns playing days.
Here are three Knicks players whose season could be a deciding factor in the team’s overall performance this upcoming season:
1. Julius Randle has a big season ahead of him
Julius Randle is perhaps the Knick that everyone will be watching closely this upcoming season. His looming free agency hangs in the balance of a potential contract extension, but with no deal currently in place, the odds are that Randle will start the season under his current contract, which has a player option after this season.
Therefore, how Randle performs this season could ultimately determine his future with the Knicks. The power forward was named to the All-Star team last season averaging 24 points, 9.2 rebounds, and five assists, but missed the last 36 games of the regular season and all of the playoffs with a dislocated shoulder. While he is expected to be back and healthy at the start of the season, it remains to be seen if the injury will affect his style of play.
One of Randle’s strengths is using his shoulder to create separation underneath the basket, so the hope for the Knicks is that he will continue to be willing to attack with that shoulder. In addition to the return from injury, Randle will also need to figure out his role with Bridges and OG Anunoby sharing the floor. While Randle is still the team’s second option, they’re going to make sure that Bridges and Anunoby get their touches, which could impact the All-Star’s shot volume.
In the brief amount of time he got to play with Anunoby last season, Randle was arguably playing his most dominant brand of basketball in his whole career, so that is a reason to be encouraged about how Randle fits with the new look to the roster. A strong season from Randle will be instrumental if the Knicks wish to make a finals run, and it could also land him a lucrative extension with New York next summer.
2. The Knicks’ center depth hinges on Mitchell Robinson’s health
The Knicks’ center room is extremely thin, with Mitchell Robinson being the only natural center in the rotation. Precious Achiuwa will likely serve as Robinson’s backup, but he is an undersized big and could have issues guarding taller matchups.
The lack of depth is so significant that Thibodeau said that there will likely be stretches where Randle has minutes at center, which has its many pros and cons. However, if Robinson can avoid going down with another serious injury, that makes their center situation much easier to navigate.
Robinson missed three months of the regular season last year because of an ankle injury that required surgery, and he re-injured that same ankle during the playoffs and had to undergo a second surgery to repair it. It is still not definite that he will be healthy in time for the season opener, so the Knicks might need to have a backup plan in place right away.
Nevertheless, the Knicks need Robinson more than ever this upcoming season. A lengthy absence could be trouble for New York, and they may be forced to add a center in order to remain an imposing threat in that area.
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3. Can Donte DiVincenzo be the team’s best bench player?
Donte DiVincenzo started last season as a bench player for the Knicks, but he quickly earned his way into the starting shooting guard gig and never relinquished it the rest of the way. He averaged 15 points per game and knocked down 283 threes, the third most in the NBA last season and the most in a single season in franchise history.
Despite the tremendous season, the Bridges addition essentially guarantees that DiVincenzo will return to a bench role. The sharpshooter’s shot volume will likely see the biggest dip, as the Knicks will look to get the bulk of their shots to be taken by Brunson, Randle, and Bridges. However, DiVincenzo’s playing style works well in a bench role, as he doesn’t require the ball to be in his hands to be effective.
DiVincenzo could also be a part of the Knicks’ closing lineup, especially if Randle plays the five in those situations. He was a clutch shot-maker last season, so New York would probably love to get him the ball in crunch time to make winning plays.
He proved to be impactful off the bench at the start of last season, and now with a full year playing for Thibodeau under his belt, there is reason to believe he will only continue to grow off of that season. He is a leading candidate for the league’s Sixth Man of The Year award, and a strong season from him could result in him winning it.
