The Knicks’ mantra should be “All that matters is June.”
That’s when the NBA Finals are played. For a team that has made it to the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2023 and then the conference finals last season, both under former head coach Tom Thibodeau, anything less than an NBA Finals appearance this season under their current head coach Mike Brown will be an abject disappointment. So far, Brown has skillfully guided his team.
However, there are no qualifiers, no ifs, ands or buts: It’s Finals or failure. Even team captain Jalen Brunson said as much after the Knicks were bounced by the Indiana Pacers in last season’s conference finals. It’s why Thibodeau was fired.
It’s why owner James Dolan has made a massive financial investment in the contracts of Jalen Brunson ($156.5 million), Karl-Anthony Towns ($220.4 million), and OG Anunoby ($212.5 million). It’s the reason team president Leon Rose parted with five first-round draft picks, traded to the Nets in June 2024, for Mikal Bridges and then later signed him to a lucrative extension ($150 million).
The Knicks’ NBA Cup Championship win on Tuesday night in Las Vegas can be viewed as a result of the front office building a formidable roster and worthy of a short celebration. The most pleasing takeaway is the players that aren’t on $150 million-plus guaranteed multiyear deals will earn nearly $531,000 in bonuses.
A lot of dough for 99% of the American population, including rising second-year Knicks guard Tyler Kolek ($2.66 million per year) and guard Miles “Deuce” McBride, whose three-year, $13 million deal has an AAV (average annual value) of $4,333,333. Since signing that rookie extension in December 2023 — which runs through the end of next season — McBride has emerged as one the most impactful two-way second unit players in the league.
The Cup victory is not predictive or emblematic of the Knicks’ championship prospects. Too many variables exist. The NBA trade deadline is still seven weeks away with Giannis Antetokounmpo looming as a force that could singularly shift the balance of power in the Eastern Conference if he’s traded to a contending team.
So the Knicks are back on the grind tonight facing the Pacers in Indiana, the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden tomorrow night, the Miami Heat at MSG again on Sunday, and the Minnesota Timberwolves next Tuesday on the road.
The Cup chip will rapidly become a satisfying but fleeting achievement. The ultimate objective will be ahead of them. They’ll face the Spurs again on December 31 at San Antonio and March 3 at MSG. The barometers will become increasingly substantial and telling as the season progresses. And the stakes will be much higher.
The post Is the Knicks’ NBA Cup championship a sign of another league title? appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.
