The Knicks finally did it. After a 53-year wait, New York beat San Antonio in five games to bring an NBA title back to Madison Square Garden for the first time since 1973. They did it with one of the most dominant postseason runs in league history. The Knicks went 16-3, won 12 games by double digits, and lost their three games by a combined six points. Along the way, they reeled off 13 straight wins, the second-longest streak in playoff history.
After the clincher, the streets of New York looked like a scene out of The Dark Knight. Fortunately, things eventually calmed down, and Knicks fans spent the entire summer rocking blue and orange and enjoying the championship together. The core players also became global celebrities, with Karl-Anthony Towns even popping up in The Devil Wears Prada 2.
Now comes the hard part. New York must forget what happened last season and focus on winning again. Repeating in the NBA is brutal, which is why nobody has done it since the Kevin Durant Warriors teams.
The good news for the Knicks is that all five starters are back, which gives this group a legitimate shot. The only major roster change is the departure of Mitchell Robinson, who signed a three-year deal with Boston. The Knicks signed Andre Drummond to replace him.
Otherwise, the issues with this franchise are off the court. Towns and Josh Hart are both unhappy that their extensions haven’t gotten done, and that’s never a good look. Worse, James Dolan is weaseling his way back into the picture. The final buzzer of Game 5 had barely sounded when he went on WFAN and said the Knicks won’t be going into the second apron. Couldn’t he crawl into a cave for a couple of weeks and let New Yorkers enjoy their damn title?
Still, the Knicks enter 2026-27 as defending champs, and they belong in the conversation with every true contender. Nobody should count them out.
BURNING QUESTIONS
How big is the loss of Robinson?
It’s nice having someone like Robinson coming off the bench. He’s one of the most versatile defensive bigs in the NBA, capable of holding his own on the perimeter and putting a lid on the rim. He was also a big reason the Knicks posted one of the best offensive rebound rates in basketball last year (32.8%). He personally pulled down 4.2 offensive boards per game.
Will he be easy to replace? Absolutely not. But Drummond has proven to be one of the more capable backup bigs in the league, and a highly competitive environment should bring out even more in him as a scrapper. It also sounds like the Knicks will keep surveying the market for additional center help.
New York’s title run featured outrageous shot-making, connectivity on both ends of the floor, and an insatiable desire to avoid losses. Losing Robinson isn’t enough to suck those qualities out of the Knicks.
What makes New York different from previous teams that failed to repeat?
It might sound corny to say competitive drive is the main differentiator between New York and past champions, but the Knicks genuinely have a different DNA than most. They erased six double-digit deficits in last year’s playoffs, including a 29-point hole in Game 4 against San Antonio. That hunger will carry over. This is exactly the type of group that wants to prove last year’s run was no fluke, and it would love to end the repeat-champion drought.
The numbers back it up, too. New York posted a +15.4 Net Rating across 19 playoff games. The lineup of Jalen Brunson, Hart, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Towns has proven to be one of the best in league history. It might be hard to summon the focus and motivation for another 82-game season, so this may not be an Over team on the win total. But with those five on the floor in the playoffs, the Knicks are the team to beat in the East. And if there’s another Finals at the Garden, lack of focus won’t be an option.
Will Towns’ lack of a contract be a distraction?
On Monday, October 5, word came out that Towns isn’t anywhere near a deal with New York. Perhaps that changes by the time this guide is published, or shortly after. Either way, it’s not something the Knicks need to be worrying about as they attempt something extremely difficult.
Towns is eligible for an extension worth up to $277 million, but New York is offering around $200 million. That’s a pretty wide gap. Luckily, the players on this team are very close with one another, so they should be able to keep Towns focused. Mike Brown also happens to be very good at easing tension.
WIN TOTAL LEAN: Under 52.5
