The Boston Celtics did not worry about Jalen Brunson or old friend Tom Thibodeau on their way to Banner 18, as they watched the New York Knicks lose to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference playoffs more than four months ago. This season, the defending champions under Joe Mazzulla’s leadership will take face a revamped club in New York.
In an unexpected and spectacular trade with the Timberwolves, another NBA Finals contender, the Knicks acquired four-time All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns while sending three-time All-Star Julius Randle to Minnesota. All throughout the league, training camps are in session. New York has already re-signed OG and added Mikal Bridges. After leading the Knicks to the No. 2 seed finish in the East, Anunoby and Brunson had the best season of their careers, averaging 28.7 points and placing fifth in the MVP voting. To cut a long tale short, New York is fully committed to pursuing the target that was tied to Boston’s back.
However, Brad Stevens, the president of basketball operations for the Celtics and the man behind the wave of roster changes in the East this offseason, has nothing to be concerned about going into 2024–25.
Here are three explanations for this:
1. The bulldog mentality that propelled the Knicks was established by Julius Randle
Like Draymond Green and Dillon Brooks accomplished for the Golden State Warriors and the Memphis Grizzlies, respectively, Randle became the driving force behind the Knicks’ ascent to prominence as a serious East rival. Why, then, cut off connections with the team’s essence and core?
Even though Randle recently underwent season-ending surgery to fix a dislocated right shoulder in January, his contract disagreement is insufficient justification for what might turn into an identity-shattering deal. When Randle leads his bulldog-like charge and crashes the boards, New York is at its best. He almost achieves a double-double this season with 24.9 points and 9.2 rebounds. It won’t be simple to replace Randle’s intangibles, which include his recently acquired 3-point shooting ability, high-energy motor, and tactful leadership, especially for a squad that is just now making an impression.
2. During the 2024 NBA playoffs, Karl-Anthony Towns was a young cat.
In the 2015 NBA Draft, Towns, a 20-year-old prospect from Kentucky, was picked first overall by Minnesota with the expectation that he would be the Timberwolves’ future star.
That was accurate for approximately fifteen minutes, but as soon as Georgian Anthony Edwards was selected first overall in 2020, Towns’ inadequacies were brought to light and Minnesotans’ expectations skyrocketed. By depending on the perimeter for scoring (19.1 points in 16 games), Towns played the role of the modern-day liability big man, leaving Rudy Gobert abandoned to handle all the dirty labor in the frontcourt. Towns’ refusal to play indoors during Minnesota’s postseason campaign became a puzzle when he shot under 30% from the field in the first three games of the Western Conference finals against the Dallas Mavericks, despite making 22 three-pointers and dishing out three (13.6%).
Towns finds it difficult to adjust and comprehend what particular circumstances the 28-year-old should bring to the table. Having coached Towns for the Timberwolves for three seasons (2016–19), Thibodeau has firsthand knowledge of this.
3. The Eastern Conference isn’t solely about Boston and New York playing tug-of-war
Although the Knicks were not the only team to spend, trade, and pick up office supplies in order to put together a new and improved roster that could compete with Boston’s and Stevens’ efforts, New York did get busy this offseason.
Tyrese Maxey, the starting guard, was signed by the Philadelphia 76ers to a five-year, $203 million agreement, while Paul George inked a four-year, $212 million contract in free agency. Tyrese Maxey will play alongside seven-time All-Star Joel Embiid. The Miami Heat consistently manages to light a playoff fire with popsicle sticks, the Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic are rising, and the Milwaukee Bucks haven’t disappeared.
Boston is not the beginning and end of New York’s East Coast journey, but if the Celtics don’t fold like a house of cards in yet another game that is win-or-lose, they might be the club to put the Knicks away.