Insider sends a strong message about the Knicks ahead of the new season

Despite upgrades to the roster this season, the New York Knicks still find themselves out looking for the playoffs, but that’s not entirely their fault.

The Eastern Conference is incredibly deep, and a team like the Knicks who have the playoff team roster may find themselves out of the championship for the second consecutive season.

Part of that may be down to losing Donovan Mitchell, but the Knicks have made improvements this season and there’s no doubt about that.

ESPN’s Brian Windhurst Talk about the Knicks In the NBA today, he argued that it would be hard to beat him, especially at Madison Square Garden.

Knicks could be a surprise

Windhurst says that while the Knicks may not be a team in this playoff next year, they have taken a step in the right direction.

“I don’t think they will be a sure-fire team in the playoffs,” he said. “I don’t think they will necessarily be in play.”

Moving from Alec Burks and Kemba Walker to Jalen Brunson is a huge leap, and Windhorst believes it will make the Knicks a tougher opponent, even if it doesn’t mean they’ll win more matches.

“Winning 41 or 39 games this year might be a real good feat given how competitive the Eastern Conference is. I think it’s a step forward for the Knicks. And I don’t think they will be an easy team to beat, especially not going to The Garden.“

Knicks star RJ Barrett thinks they have what it takes to “shock the world” next season, and while it’s fair to have such optimism, not many people seem to join him in the ratings.

On the other hand, it’s a bit strange to see people cheering New York’s improvements to the roster only to see them barely advancing in wins, but again these are factors beyond their control.

One day at a time

The time for predictions is coming to an end as the regular season approaches. Pre-season preparation isn’t always the best way to know what’s going to happen next season, but there are some encouraging signs.

RJ Barrett shoots well, Randle looks good playing next to Brunson, and Bronson himself looks like a huge upgrade over the likes of Burks and Walker from last season.

He’s excited about being Nick as his dad coaches him, so there are plenty of things you’ll feel good about going through this season. Fans will need to be careful about getting too excited, because everyone remembers the “bing bong” era last season which ended up being used as a way to make fun of the team later in the season.

While still a very small sample size of three games, Barrett’s has raised his shot to nearly 50 percent per game while keeping the points in each game pretty much the same.

If enough young players continue to develop and Randle finds a way to get back on the right track, the playoffs could come in handy.