The Knicks entered last season with the highest expectations in recent franchise history. This year, they enter the campaign having finally met them for the first time in 53 seasons.
For many that would be enough, but this squad looks intent on repeating, which would break the NBA’s streak of eight consecutive different title winners.
With the roadmap already laid out for more or less the same roster, there’s no reason New York shouldn’t be right there once again.
Here's SNY's 2026-27 season preview...
What worked
Head coach Mike Brown was brought in for one reason -- to get his team over the hump behind increased communication, a reformed offensive system, and heavier reliance on their depth. He accomplished all of the above, giving the Knicks a blueprint of a championship season they can fall back on if things get tough.
But Brown’s success wasn’t immediately apparent. As promised, he spent much of the regular season experimenting with schemes and rotations.
At times, that left some members of the team unsure of their roles. At others, the team was stuck in a rut. But everything clicked beginning with Game 4 of the first round of the playoffs in Atlanta.
Everybody comfortably settled into their roles at once, with the big change being how the team utilized Karl-Anthony Towns' playmaking. Each player locked in defensively and flourished as part of the team concept offensively.
Jalen Brunsoncontinued his postseason heroics while mixing in enough off-ball play to keep him fresh.OG Anunoby put together a historically efficient scoring run.
They found basketball nirvana, entering a flow state of ball movement and abandoning any other motives. How much of this can they carry over with the ground shifting underneath them?
What’s changed?
While the Knicks brought back most of their championship roster, this team isn’t identical to the one that won it all. They lost Mitchell Robinson, their backup center who was a key man all season but especially in slowing down Victor Wembanyama in the NBA Finals.
Replacing him is Andre Drummond, another rim-runner with a knack for offensive rebounding, though generally considered a tier below Robinson overall. Drummond will bring durability, free throw shooting and a couple other skills Robinson lacked, but this potential downgrade could impact their title hopes.
While the rest of the core roster is more or less the same, the conference surrounding the Knicks has improved dramatically. Philadelphia added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown after their Eastern Conference Semifinals beatdown at the hands of New York, Indiana is getting a healthy Tyrese Haliburton back, the Heat added Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Toronto added Kawhi Leonard.
This, while contenders like Boston, Cleveland, and Detroit remain in the picture. Even if the Knicks wholly recapture their magic, facing stiffer competition makes repeating much harder.
But perhaps the biggest year over year difference is the black cloud that’s hung overhead the past few weeks -- extension talks. Towns, Josh Hart, and Miles McBride can all test free agency relatively soon, with the front office shelving extension talks until later in the season.
Playing through uncertain long-term security can be a distraction, and if the Knicks re-engage on talks before the trade deadline unsuccessfully, it could open a much bigger can of worms. But all parties seem to want to come together on this, so there’s reason for optimism.
Finally, how does Brown adjust to all of this? Fans shouldn’t expect him to stay content with last year’s playbook and approach, and to continue experimenting with options through this regular season.
He’s mentioned evolving the Towns hub package as well as working in additional pick-and-roll reps for Anunoby and Mikal Bridges. There’s sure to be additional twists on the winning formula as well.
What to watch
The Knicks open up their repeat run against a slew of contenders, so the first month of the season will serve as an early test of the team’s preparedness. How they set the pace - hangover or hunger - will tell us a lot about the season to come.
It’ll be interesting to see how else Brown messes with his talent. One name that deserves added attention is Mohamed Diawara, who had an impressive though short-lived rookie season.
He’s arguably the team’s most tantalizing prospect, and as a big wing helps address a couple needs. If he can keep up his 40 percent shooting clip from three and show a little more consistency in his dribble and defensive games, watch out.
Then there’s James Wiseman, the former second overall pick that was brought into training camp and earned himself the third string center spot. That may not seem like a crucial position, but Towns' recurring foul trouble and the scarcity of reliable backups make him a pivotal piece.
Can he shake off his injury history to recapture some of his lottery upside?
Bench ball handling is another point of emphasis, with Jordan Clarkson moving more into a wing role and McBride potentially on the chopping block. Jose Alvarado has been their go-to but can have rough stretches, leaving Tyler Kolek as the remaining option here.
Whether we see more opportunities for Kolek or a trade, getting Brunson adequate ball-handling help proved invaluable during last year’s playoffs and will be this year, too.
Finally, the age old question for any contender. Now that everybody’s individual sacrifices paid off, will they continue to sacrifice, or will some guys now look to cash in on their own success, especially with extensions and aprons being a hot button issue?
Prediction
The Knicks have some concerns on the margins, but this group is returning healthy and largely intact, giving them some of the best title hopes in the league. The Knicks repeat as champions, 4-2 in the NBA Finals over San Antonio.