Hot Takes on Knicks' Roster and 2024 Title Hopes Ahead of NBA Season

The New York Knicks almost always rank among the NBA's most fascinating teams to watch.

Sure, sometimes the attention falls under morbid curiosity and wanting to see exactly when, where and why the car crashes, but every now and then, the 'Bockers carry legitimate hopes of championship contention into a campaign.

This might be one of those times.

New York righted the ship last season, rebounding from a colossally disappointing 2022-23 season and rattling off 47 regular-season wins and a playoff series victory. So, what could these Knicks have in store for a sequel? We'll set this club's ceiling and more by way of three hot takes for the upcoming season.

Jalen Brunson Has All-NBA Talent

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MIAMI, FL - MAY 12: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks dribbles the ball during Game 6 of the 2023 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Semi-Finals against the Miami Heat on May 12, 2023 at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

The 2022-23 season was one of validation for Jalen Brunson. Stepping out of Luka Dončić's shadow in Dallas and into a $104 million deal with the Knicks, Brunson spent the campaign directly under the collective watch of the hoops community.

It's hard to imagine folks were anything but blown away by his performance.

His 68-game season yielded one personal-best after the next. By the time the marathon was finished, he was one of only six players to average 24 points, six assists and two three-pointers, per Basketball-Reference.

If you thought you were watching his peak, though, think again. That was only his first season as a full-time starter and just the second in which he'd started at least 40 games. He still has another level—or three—he can reach, and if he lands anywhere close to it, he could wrap this season not only as a first-time All-Star, but also an All-NBA honoree.

RJ Barrett Has Already Plateaued (in New York)

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NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 24: RJ Barrett #9 of the New York Knicks high fives Head Coach Tom Thibodeau during the game against the Orlando Magic on October 24, 2022 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

Hopes were sky-high when the Knicks brought RJ Barrett to the Big Apple as the No. 3 pick in 2019. Billed as a potential savior before ever breaking a sweat on the NBA hardwood, he held the hopes of the league's biggest market across his then-teenaged shoulders.

That was only four years ago, yet it may as well have been a lifetime. While Barrett has hardly been discarded, he is no longer the player tasked with carrying the club. He still plays a prominent role, sure, but he's forced to fend off any contenders for third billing behind Brunson and Julius Randle.

Despite being only 23 years old, Barrett feels like a known commodity—for better and worse. He can will his way to the rim just about whenever he wants, but his game has yet to branch out much into different areas. At this point, it's fair to wonder whether they even can as long as he's wearing blue and orange.

A wide-open floor could do wonders for his game, but New York's shooting struggles—which he factors into—prevent him from ever operating within optimal spacing. Drop him into a well-balanced offense, and he could have cleaner paths to the basket, likely upping his efficiency and perhaps widening passing lanes enough for him to probe them more often.

He still has a path to potential stardom, but it's one that likely runs outside of Madison Square Garden.

Knicks Can Return to Conference Semis, but Won't Go Any Farther

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MIAMI, FL - MAY 12: Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks handles the ball against Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat during Game 6 of the 2023 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Semi-Finals on May 12, 2023 at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Knicks can be good this season. Scratch that—They should be good this season.

All key contributors from last season's squad are back, and Donte DiVincenzo has now joined the party. Like his college teammates at Villanova, Brunson and Josh Hart, DiVincenzo could become a fan favorite for his hustle, versatility and willingness to do the little things that often win games.

All of that said, good isn't great. In fact, the gap between them is perhaps the hardest to traverse in all of sports. There is simply too much ground for this roster to cover without a substantial addition from outside the organization.

So, barring some massive mid-season upgrade, the Knicks may play out this season much as they spent the last one: as a good team that can look great certain nights but can't sustain that dominance long enough to advance further than the conference semis.