The New York Knicks have managed a huge turnaround over the past half-decade or so, transforming from one of the worst-run franchises in the NBA into one of the association’s most well-oiled machines.
This offseason, the Knicks finally made their big move, trading away a ton of draft capital to bring Mikal Bridges in to give the team another one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA alongside OG Anunoby, keeping up with the Eastern Conference arms race in the process.
The acquisition of Bridges comes as a shock to absolutely no one given how many Villanova connections he already had on the Knicks roster. But compared to some of the names linked to the Knicks over the past few years, such as Joel Embiid and Donovan Mitchell, Bridges definitely pales in comparison — when judged in a vacuum. Nonetheless, Carmelo Anthony lauded the Knicks for sticking with their roster-building vision, deciding to bring in a more seamless fit on the team, both on the court and in the locker room, over someone with greater name value.
“I think they put together a really, really, really good roster. They took their time to get with the pieces that they really need. It probably was a lot of pressure on them to go get a super superstar, whatever type of superstar, whoever you think would be worthy of going to the Knicks. But they ain’t listen to none of that s**t. They stuck with what they was doing. They knew the pieces that they needed,” Anthony said in an appearance on Podcast P with Paul George presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment.
Indeed, the Knicks nearly made it to the Conference Finals even though they were missing Julius Randle, while OG Anunoby wasn’t 100 percent as well during the Indiana Pacers series. The Boston Celtics should still be the favorite to come out of the Eastern Conference next season, but the Knicks should give them a run for their money, especially if they manage to address their need for another center in the aftermath of Isaiah Hartenstein’s departure.
The Knicks have little to no roster holes. Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby will be forming a nasty 3-and-D duo on the wing. Josh Hart is the perfect role player, someone who doesn’t command touches yet gives his 100 percent on every possession, while Donte DiVincenzo has become one of the most explosive snipers from beyond the arc. Julius Randle provides secondary shot-creation and a low-post threat to relieve offensive pressure off of Brunson’s shoulders, while Mitchell Robinson is a dynamite lob threat as well as a rim protector and rebounder.
For Carmelo Anthony, the crucial step for the Knicks is to re-integrate Randle in a way that won’t step on the toes of the players that nearly led the team to the Conference Finals.
“So now he got to figure out what he has to do and I don’t want to say fit in, but to make it work because it’s not going to be the same role for him bringing him [Mikail] on, bringing OG back. You’ve been hurt. So now it’s a different type of flow, different type of rhythm. Now you got to figure out how to work within this and still be who you are, but within all of this,” Anthony added.
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