INDIANAPOLIS — A funny thing happened to the woebegone Knicks en route to a fitting first-round playoff matchup against Donovan Mitchell, their primary target in the summer of 2022, and his new team, the Cavaliers.
Unable to obtain Mitchell from the Jazz last summer, the moves that team president Leon Rose was able to execute both last offseason and at this year’s trade deadline have helped restore the Knicks as a team on the rise in the Eastern Conference — and perhaps more importantly, a potentially desirable destination when he takes another big swing to upgrade this roster with an eye on NBA championship contention.
Before a summer that could see established, massively paid All-Stars such as Damian Lillard, Paul George, Zach LaVine and — if the 76ers are eliminated early yet again — perhaps even MVP candidate Joel Embiid on the trade market, let’s offer praise where it’s due for how the Knicks’ front office got the team back into the playoffs, one year after losing steam off of their surprising 2021 postseason appearance with a disappointing 2021-22 campaign.
There isn’t much more that can be said about the addition of Rose’s former CAA client Jalen Brunson, perhaps the best free-agent signing in team history, or at least since Allan Houston came aboard in 1996 and helped front the Knicks to their most recent NBA Finals appearance in 1999 and then to the Eastern Conference Finals the following year.
Brunson, who judiciously was held out of Wednesday’s 138-129 win over the Pacers for maintenance on his bothersome right hand with the team’s playoff seeding and opponent cemented, should have been an All-Star this season.
He also should be recognized at least as a finalist for the league’s Most Improved Player award, two years after Julius Randle joined former Bulls wing Jimmy Butler as Tom Thibodeau players to cop the award.
My belief is either Utah’s Lauri Markkanen or Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will win the award, but that doesn’t detract at all what Brunson has meant to the Knicks — even beyond the jumps he has made in his scoring numbers — since signing a four-year $104 million deal last July after a breakthrough playoff performance with the Mavericks.
Asked Sunday whether Brunson’s scoring rise — from 16.3 points per game last year to 24.0 this season — has been more a product of improvement or opportunity, Thibodeau surmised it’s “probably a combination” of both.
“I think the one thing when you look at him, wherever he’s been, whether it was high school, college, the pros, there’s been significant jumps every season,” Thibodeau said. “And that’s a testament to him and his willingness to grow and learn and work. His work ethic is off the charts. So each experience is teaching him something. And so I think he’ll be one of those guys because of the way he approaches it. He’ll get better every year.
“So we were confident that he could do this. If you look at last year, it was steady throughout, and he just kept going. He has the ability to play his best in big games.
“I think a lot of times people manufacture things that really aren’t true. I think when you dig into his numbers, you see how true they are. You see, OK, he’s improved his scoring by eight points a game. He’s taking twice as many 3s. He’s shooting almost 42 percent [41.6] from [3-point range]. He’s getting to the line, he’s doubled his free throws.
“There’s significant things that he’s done. But I would say the most important thing is what he’s contributed to winning. And that’s always been his biggest attribute.”
Trade-deadline pickup Josh Hart — Brunson’s close ally and former Villanova championship teammate — has had a similar effect as the Knicks improved to 16-6 in 22 games with Hart in the lineup since he was acquired from the Trail Blazers on Feb. 8.
Hart’s 370 career NBA games are the fourth-most among active players without a postseason appearance, and two of those players — De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk of the Kings — also will see their streaks end later this month (Indiana’s Buddy Hield remains the active leader with 546).
“It’s cool. I saw a tweet I’m in the top five among active players with the most games without playing in the playoffs,” Hart said. “I’m extremely excited personally, and that’s something I wanted to do and haven’t been able to do the last five years. [I] can’t wait to see the Garden rocking.”
Of course, that drought flies in the face of everything Hart has contributed to the Knicks statistically and intangibly since his arrival, almost instantly becoming a fan favorite at MSG for his diligence, his hustle, his defense and his ability to fill various categories on the score sheet on a nightly basis.
“Not surprised at all,” Brunson said. “He’s a person that can do whatever you need, when that time is needed. He’s been that way for us since the deadline.”
With a proper playoff berth clinched, it’s well worth it that the top-14 protected first-round pick the Knicks included with Cam Reddish and fillers in the trade for Hart now will convey to the Blazers.
Following a slow start while hampered by a nagging foot injury, backup center Isaiah Hartenstein — signed to a two-year deal worth $16 million last summer — also has emerged as a valuable contributor off the bench in the second half of the season.
His increasingly reliable defense and an ability to find the open man presents Thibodeau with the option to use him in place of starter Mitchell Robinson to close out games, depending on matchups and how each big man is faring on a given night.
“I think it’s just been steady progress from the start of the season,” Thibodeau said of Hartenstein. “I thought when Mitch went out [with a thumb injury in January], Isaiah got into a really good rhythm. And I think he’s more comfortable now. He’s been here all season and knows his teammates well. His teammates know him well. So he’s playing at a very high level right now.”
Rose, who hasn’t addressed the media all season, and his staff also deserve credit for uncovering and not sacrificing two-way rotation pieces Immanuel Quickley — a legit contender for the league’s Sixth Man award — and surging starting shooting guard Quentin Grimes with the 25th overall pick in back-to-back drafts in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
Neither player was included in a massive trade package — in addition to multiple first-round draft picks — for Mitchell or another star, and both youngsters have significantly enhanced their value, either to the Knicks’ core or as potential trade pieces in the future.
Former lottery pick Obi Toppin (No. 8 overall, 2020) also has filled in as a starter with Randle sidelined, averaging 21.7 points and 31.5 minutes over the past three games, though he’s expected to return to his reduced second-team role whenever Randle returns.
Window shopping
First and foremost, Knicks fans should enjoy the pending postseason run, for however long it lasts.
Especially with the potential for a fun series against the Cavs, which should be more competitive than the deflating five-game ouster by Trae Young and the Hawks two years ago.
That said, the Knicks clearly will be in the market for upgrades and splashes in the offseason, and as mentioned above, there could be some big names available via the trade or free-agent markets. Let’s take a look at some names who could be on the radar:
Damian Lillard — The seven-time All-Star turns 33 this summer, and despite having signed Lillard last year to a max extension through 2026, it could be time for the Trail Blazers (33-46, 13th in the West) to blaze a new trail and fully rebuild with a few promising young players and first-round picks. The Knicks are armed with plenty of both.
RJ Barrett’s soon-to-begin $107 million extension and/or one for Quickley, plus Evan Fournier’s expiring $18.9 million deal, could help make the money work for Lillard, who averaged a career-best 32.2 points per game over 58 games before a late-March shutdown ended his 11th NBA season.
Still feels unlikely, but it’s at least a fun possibility to think about.
Paul George — Not quite the scorer that Lillard is, the Clippers could decide to break up the oft-injured PG-13’s partnership with Kawhi Leonard if they fall short again in the postseason.
The eight-time All-Star missed his seventh straight game Wednesday against the Lakers due to his latest knee issues, and he turns 33 in May with two years and $94 million remaining on his contract, including a player option for 2024-25. But George also is a four-time All-Defensive team selection, which fits Thibodeau’s profile.
Zach LaVine — The Knicks discussed a LaVine blockbuster at the deadline, but the Bulls stood pat and qualified for the play-in tournament.
The two-time All-Star has averaged at least 24 points in each of the past four seasons, including 24.9 this year. He’s also a career 38.4 percent shooter from 3-point range.
LaVine, 28, also is five years younger than the previous two stars, but he’s owed around $178 million over the next four seasons, including a $49 million player option for 2026-27.
Joel Embiid — Would the MVP finalist really ask out of Philly if he falls short of the Finals again alongside James Harden with the Sixers? Maybe not, but remember, the league’s scoring leader is another former Rose client at CAA.
What’s a $196 million super-max extension beginning next year between friends, anyway?
Kyrie Irving — Sorry, couldn’t resist. Someone might take a flier and pay Kyrie as a free agent this summer. But it’s hard to imagine that team being the Knicks following his tumultuous time in Brooklyn and the Mavericks’ tailspin after acquiring him at the deadline.
The Kyrie effect
Few people outside of Dallas want to see the Irving-Luka Doncic alignment work — and the Mavericks to rally into the Western Conference play-in tournament — more than the Knicks do.
The Mavs will retain their protected first-round pick this year if the selection ends up in the top 10 through the lottery process. Otherwise they will send it to the Knicks as part of the 2019 Kristaps Porzingis trade.
The Mavericks’ second-half comeback Wednesday night against Sacramento — amid rumors of tanking the rest of the regular season, which owner Mark Cuban denied before the game — represented the skidding team’s seventh win in its past 23 games.
It also pulled Dallas even with slumping Oklahoma City for the 10th-best record in the Western Conference at 38-42 with two games remaining, though the Mavericks officially remain for now in 11th place.
The Mavs, who stayed alive behind 31 points from Irving and 29 from Doncic, play the Bulls (also 38-42) on Friday and the out-of-it Spurs on Sunday.
The Thunder, losers of six of their past eight, have games remaining at Utah on Thursday and against Memphis on Sunday.
Wins in their final two games will keep the Mavericks outside the top 10 entering in the lottery with a much smaller chance of moving up in the pecking order.
Obtaining the 11th or 12th selection would be yet another valuable asset for the Knicks entering the summer.
