New York is synonymous with basketball. In its street courts, some mythical ones like The Cage or Rucker Park, anonymous players compete to become urban legends. But above all, it is the city of the New York Knicks, one of the most legendary franchises in the NBA. With a value of 6.6 billion dollars (6.1 billion euros), according to Forbes, is also the second most valuable in the league only behind the Golden State Warriors ($7.7 billion, four-time champions in the last decade), but after 51 years without winning the title and after accumulating countless disappointments, it can be concluded that the fame and commercial appeal of the Knicks have never kept pace with their sporting performance. However, something has changed in the team, one step away from its first conference finals since 2000 after its victory this Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers. Winning the series (3-2 march) would mean finally freeing yourself from the team stigma loser and would confirm the status of their star, point guard Jalen Brunson, as the hero who was able to restore competitive pride to The big Apple.
To measure the Knicks’ good moment, just look at history. Despite being one of the founding franchises of the NBA and, along with the Boston Celtics, the only one that has remained in the same city since its birth in 1946, its two championships (1970 and 1973) remain too far back in time. . Of course, his fans, some illustrious like Spike Lee, John McEnroe or Denzel Washington, never lose faith and every September they ensure that this is the year; the one that never comes, but could come this time.
The second place in the East achieved during the regular season is already a milestone if you take into account that in 16 of the last 25 seasons, the Knicks have failed to qualify for the playoffs. A very tough streak for a franchise that, between 1987 and 2001, played in the final phase of the championship uninterruptedly. And of the nine times they have done so so far this century, they were eliminated in the first round on five occasions. In total, in only four seasons did they manage to overcome a postseason phase, including the current one.
Glory, in the hands of Brunson
This Wednesday’s victory has a clear protagonist: Jalen Brunson and his 44 points. It is the fifth time that they have surpassed the 40 barrier in these playoffs, and perhaps the most meritorious considering that the team is physically stiff. After eliminating the Philadelphia 76ers and starting the semifinal series against the Pacers with two wins in a row, expectations of reaching the conference finals for the first time since the 99-00 season were high. However, Indiana managed to tie the tie at home and take advantage of the physical fatigue that the Knicks were accumulating due to the loss of several key players such as Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, Bojan Bogdanovic and OG Anunoby.
Circumstances and his status as a leader have forced Brunson to perform at his best to keep his aspirations alive. The point guard has just scored 40 or more points in four consecutive games of playoffsnumbers unpublished since Michael Jordan in the 1993 finals. Some of his performances in playoffs They have made him one of the most important players in the competition and, along with Anthony Edwards (32.1 points per night for the Timberwolves), he is being the big star of the postseason. In the first round, against the Sixers, he had 39 points and 13 assists in the third game; 47 points and 10 assists in the quarter; another 40 points in the fifth and 43 points and 12 assists in the sixth. In the semis, he has not lowered his level, with 43 points in the first match against Indiana and another 44 in the fifth. In total, 33.9 minutes and 7.5 assists per game make him the figure of the East.
On the way to the ring, the physique is the great obstacle. Coach Tom Thibodeau’s tendency to load his men with minutes, and problems with injuries have left the team without gas, as demonstrated in the second loss against Indiana, by more than 30 points and with signs of surrender. Right now, three Knicks players are in the Top-10 in minutes played per game. The first is Josh Hart, with 44 of 48 minutes per game; the third is Brunson himself (40.8) and the tenth, Donte DiVinzenzo, with 35.5.
Of course, the competitive gene and pride are the watchword of the team and its coach, Tom Thibodeau, who since 2020 has been in charge of providing the project with stability with three qualifications for the knockout phase in the last four seasons. In a franchise accustomed to chaos and constant change of coaches, Thibs He is, along with Mike D’Antoni (2008-2012), the only coach to remain in his position for four or more years so far this century.
Indeed, D’Antoni’s journey was the last project capable of overcoming a round of playoffs. In the 12-13 season, the team led by Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler were called to put an end to the curse of the Knicks, but not even the combined talent prevented failure. A round of playoffs surpassed in six and a half years with Melloone of the best scorers in history, only had one possible verdict: failure.
A redeemed hero
The path to light has not been easy for the Knicks, and the trajectory of their star fits perfectly in that search for redemption. After helping Luka Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks in their assault on the Western finals in 2022, the Mavs were able to re-sign Brunson for four years and $55 million. An injury to Doncic opened the doors to a starting position for him and he came to average more than 20 points per game without the Slovenian who raised his cachet. When the time came to renew him, Brunson’s position was clear: demand a better contract.
However, the Mavs did not call him again, and from New York they bet heavily on him in an operation that has turned out well for both parties. Two seasons ago, Brunson signed a contract with the Knicks for four years, at a rate of 104 million dollars (about 96 million euros) in total, which have come out cheap considering that most of the stars in the league are earning the double.
On the horizon, two options. This summer, the point guard could sign a four-year extension with New York for 156 million dollars (about 144 million euros), with an annual salary of 39.1 million dollars (36 million euros). The alternative, more juicy from an economic point of view, although uncertain from a sporting perspective, would be to wait until 2025, become a free agent, and sign a maximum contract for any team that could reach 258 million euros for five years (51, 6 million dollars, about 47 million euros, per course).
For now, Brunson will most likely look to continue where he has found his basketball home and become a legend in New York. Whatever happens in the series against Indiana, these Knicks have already managed to change the dynamics of the franchise and make it an attractive destination for some of the stars who could end up in New York in the next transfer market, with names like Donovan Mitchell or Joel Embiid on the radar of the Knicks who seek to complement Brunson in their assault on the ring.
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