Midway by means of the 2024-25 season, the Knicks sits at 26-15, good for third place within the Japanese Convention. It has been an up-and-down yr since revamping their roster within the offseason, and the midway level serves as a pure level to look again and take inventory of the season to date.
Right here is the Knicks 2024-25 midseason report card, with every rotation participant and the pinnacle coach graded based mostly on their efficiency relative to expectations.
Jalen Brunson – A
Brunson’s rise to stardom continued unimpeded this season, averaging 25.7 factors, three rebounds and seven.6 assists. With the brand new weapons round him, he has gotten used to having to attain much less and play extra, which has improved his effectivity.
He is had a capturing droop lately, can get slowed down in hero ball and his passes want one other leap to actually end his recreation, however these are simply footnotes in a bigger story . This story is that Brunson continues to be the star that Knicks followers have dreamed of because the days of Patrick Ewing.
Mikal Bridges -C+
Bridges’ play has ranged from glorious to horrible relying on the month, with inconsistency being the most important criticism over the course of 41 video games. On common, he fares effectively, with spectacular cornering and mid-range effectivity and largely dependable protection, with the most important benefit being his fixed availability.
However he hasn’t been Phoenix’s elite 3-DD Bridges, nor Brooklyn’s chief Bridges, and the proposed hybrid of the 2 reared its head for December and that is it. He cannot escape the worth New York paid to get him, and he’ll should do extra to get there.
OG Anunoby -C+
Of all of the speak round Bridges’ price ticket and related expectations, Anunoby has someway dodged these discussions regardless of a 24-game droop and the second-highest wage on the workforce. He is shot 43.6 % from the sphere and 28.4 % from three since a 40-point recreation in opposition to Denver capped a Kawhi Leonard-a mild run to begin the season, and even its normally dependable nighttime protection stumbled at occasions.
Nonetheless, Anunoby can typically appear like the one participant holding this Knicks protection collectively, and has been efficient total regardless of this troublesome month and a half. Taking part in each recreation might take its toll, however regardless of the motive, followers ought to anticipate a bounce again quickly.
Josh Hart – A
Hart prompted some waves when he referred to as himself “misplaced” through the preseason, and naturally was the Knick most in tune together with his position all through the common season. He’s averaging 14.3 factors, 9.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists, with a hit fee of 67.8 % from two and 37.7 % from three.
These usually are not solely profession greatest numbers, but in addition a number of the most spectacular within the league, with a top-ranked two-point effectivity and a rebound fee that might counsel he is seven toes tall. What’s extra spectacular is his play past the numbers: his willingness to shoot and make the three, his further effort that breaks groups down, and his management that nearly brings an entire new workforce collectively.
Cities of Karl-Anthony – A
When the Knicks traded for Cities as their beginning heart, the offensive potential was clearly sky-high, however how they might fare defensively was in query. After forty-one video games, Knicks followers must be completely satisfied that the previous was low-key and the latter wasn’t as unhealthy as feared.
Cities has revolutionized a as soon as staid Knicks offense into one of many league’s greatest behind MVP-lite numbers: 25.4 factors, 13.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists on 59.3 % capturing from two and 44.9% capturing from three. He is proven nice effort and actual defensive flashes, and whereas he is nonetheless flawed, he isn’t close to the sieve he was speculated to be, and an enormous a part of the workforce’s disappointment on this regard falls on different guys.
Miles McBride – C+
McBride regarded primed for a possible Sixth Man of the Yr marketing campaign, with a lot of this summer time’s strikes made attainable by his breakout season in 2023-24. A couple of nagging accidents, nonetheless, stored him from getting right into a rhythm, and when he did play, the outcomes have been blended.
His protection and three-point capturing are nonetheless there, however his ball creation has regressed or stagnated. He nonetheless has loads of time left to have an enormous yr, and perhaps it is unfair to ask him to hold such a skinny Knicks bench, however we must always hope to see extra of McBride within the second half of the season.
Cam Payne – B
From the beginning of the preseason, it was evident that Payne can be a rotation participant after bouncing round completely different benches across the league in earlier years. The Knicks have been getting a sparkplug who might run an offense and shoot at will, and he did all the above.
Jericho Sims – C
We are actually in yr 4 of the Sims experiment, and he has confirmed to be a strong inside defender and dependable screener. Sadly, the remainder of his recreation did not work, and whether or not or not his minutes are constructive will depend on the sport, pushing him largely out of the rotation.
Valuable Achiuwa – C+
Achiuwa has performed as much as par this season, however can look overwhelmed at occasions, revealing the constraints of counting on him as a backup. This setup struggles to scale to full dimension, nevertheless it has discovered success in affiliation with cities, so anticipate extra of this look, though Mitchell RobinsonThe return of reduces his minutes.
Tom Thibodeau – B
After fastidiously crafting and perfecting a workforce identification over the previous two seasons, the Knicks blew up their roster in pursuit of a championship, leaving Thibodeau with the duty of adapting these new items in time for April and Might . A 26-15 file with the fifth-best internet score within the league is a reasonably clear indication that he is performed a strong job contemplating this monumental problem.
It has been flawed, as anticipated, and a few of Thibodeau’s cussed habits are as soon as once more irritating the fan base. However there are not any ten coaches who can do higher, and he and his workforce will in the end be judged on their efficiency within the Playoffs, not in January.
Total Workforce Grade – B
Not but the contender they wish to be, however an objectively good begin in hopes of getting there.
