Deadseriousness Audit: 2022-23 New York Knicks

Welcome to the Deadseriousness Audit where we break down the season that was and preview the season to come.

The 2022-23 New York Knicks won 47 games and finished 5th in the Eastern Conference. The team finished 3rd in offensive rating and 7th in net rating. They were a Top 10 team in the NBA. Writing this article hurts. I still can’t believe they couldn’t beat the Miami Heat. The Knicks should be playing in the Eastern Conference Finals this week but that’s not the reality we live in. Whatever. I’m totallyyyyy fine.

What Went Right

After winning the Most Improved Player trophy and earning All-NBA honors in 2021, Julius Randle came back last season and looked like he had no idea how to play basketball. He was arguing with Knicks fans during games. It was a nightmare.

But Julius Randle returned to All-NBA form due mainly to Jalen Brunson signing with the team and providing the true point guard this franchise hasn’t had since like, the 70’s. Brunson ended the season playing all 48 minutes of a playoff game. The NBA media loves telling Knicks fans how much the Knicks need a superstar (and then laughing at them when they try to get one) but Jalen Brunson is a bonafide star.

Also want to give a quick shout out to Quentin Grimes who became a starter in his 2nd year in the NBA and was a crucial piece in their success this season often working as a pressure release by hitting big 3’s or getting important stops of the defensive end.

What Went Wrong

The Knicks overachieved this season so it’s difficult to think of anything that went ‘wrong’ considering they should not have been competing in the second round of the playoffs. No one thought Jalen Brunson was going to outplay Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell.

If anything went “wrong”, I’d say it was guys like Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin shrinking in the playoffs. Quickley went from the obvious Sixth Man of the Year to an even worse Jordan Poole. But IQ and Obi are young. I wasn’t expecting them to drop 20 a night in the playoffs. I expect these guys and like, Miles McBride and Quentin Grimes to come back from this experience and use it to motivate them next season.

I guess you can make the argument that Evan Fournier just rotting away on the bench stealing $73 million was a bad thing. But again, the team still made the 2nd round without Fournier.

Free Agency

Everyone on the Knicks is under contract except for Derrick Rose who has a team option and Josh Hart who has a player option. I would hope the Knicks decline the Rose option because he’s set to make $15 million next season and he won’t play a single minute. Maybe he opts out and they bring him back on the vet’s minimum if everyone involved is okay with the situation.

I can see Josh Hart just opting in. There isn’t enough cap space among NBA teams this summer so it would be a mistake for Hart to test free agency, especially after his series against the Miami Heat where he was borderline unplayable because he refused to shoot open jumpers and was fouling his ass off. The man looked terrified in the playoffs.

The Draft/Trade Market

As far as trade targets go, I think everyone is looking in the wrong direction. Acquiring Karl Anthony-Towns would be malpractice. If you were frustrated by Julius Randle’s defensive efforts then there is no conceivable reason why you should want KAT in New York being 7 feet tall and having no idea how to protect the rim.

The Knicks lost the physical and mental toughness battles against the Heat. Karl Anthony-Towns lost that same battle to Jimmy Butler literally every day in practice when they played together in Minnesota.

The Knicks need a wing. Maybe someone like Paul George or Kawhi Leonard. Both guys have player options for the 24-25 season which means next year could be considered the final year of their contracts. They’ve never been fully healthy enough to compete together but I could see this organization pulling the plug on this and getting assets back for one of their stars before they leave at the end of another disappointing season next year.

I’m not looking to see who the Knicks should draft because I think they are 1000% trading picks this summer to bring in a guy to play alongside Jalen Brunson. With Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin up for extensions, it would not shock me at all if New York elected to add them to a trade package instead of giving IQ and Obi more cash.

Let’s just pray this doesn’t end with Karl Anthony Towns on this roster and RJ Barrett having the best year of his career in Minnesota. I’m sick thinking about it.

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