As we celebrate New Year’s Eve and the turn of the calendar from 2024 to 2025, let’s take stock on what we learned following a riveting year of Knicks basketball.
Jalen Brunson is a bonafide superstar
It wasn’t long into 2024 when Brunson’s breakout second season with the Knicks went under the national media microscope, with Becky Hammon questioning whether he is a true “1A” player who can lead a championship team. Despite an avalanche of injuries to his teammates and a massive roster upheaval, Brunson spent the remainder of the year proving Hammon and other skeptics terribly wrong.
After leading the Knicks to a 50-win, second-seed finish after losing Julius Randle to injury while averaging 30.8 points and 7.3 assists on 48.3 percent shooting from the field and 37.3 percent from three, Brunson followed up with a historically great playoff performance -- five straight games of 39+ points, the first player since Michael Jordan to do it and only the fourth player ever, leading New York past the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round.
Brunson evolved his game from steady score-first point guard, to on-and-off-ball elite scoring threat, and then again this season to a more involved playmaker. Brunson is currently putting up an efficient 25.5 points and 7.7 assists per game, and has a recent a 55-point performance under his belt.
Miles McBride has one of the best value contracts in the league
Just before the new year, McBride signed a three-year extension for $13 million with the Knicks, who were coming off a trade that nixed their guard depth, with the team wanting to lock in their prospect for the long term. To that point, McBride hadn’t been able to earn consistent NBA minutes despite his hounding defense, as his offense failed to carry over from impressive displays in Westchester.
Boy did New York bet right. McBride took his newfound opportunity and ran with it, averaging 10.7 points on 40.9 percent shooting from three down the stretch of the season, even contributing with some big starts and performances.
He went on to put together huge swings in the playoffs, including a 21-point Game 1 over Philly. This season he’s averaging 9.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists on 40.3 percent shooting from three, keeping up his terrific two-way play off the bench on a deal that now looks like highway robbery.
The Knicks are all-in on winning a championship
The year kicked off with the aftermath of the shocking trade sending RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to Toronto in exchange for OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa. Out went two Tom Thibodeau-era mainstays and homegrown picks that included the man who broke the Charlie Ward curse.