Knicks' Biggest Takeaways from 2021 NBA Season

Losing an NBA playoff series stinks.

Yes, even if it's one no one expected you to be in.

The sting of the New York Knicks' five-game, first-round loss to the Atlanta Hawks is real. The hurt is real. A week or so of what-could-have-been questions might be in order for Knicks fans hoping their first playoff trip since 2013 would have lasted longer than it did.

In time, though, a wave of clarity should wash over 'Bockers backers, and when it does, the fanbase can rightfully celebrate a campaign that was...well, worth celebrating. When FanDuel assessed this squad before the season, the over/under win total was set at 21.5. The Knicks nearly doubled that number with their 41-31 record.

There is plenty to take away from this season beyond a playoff disappointment. The following three revelations will help guide this franchise into the future.

The Knicks Have a Star

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Some All-Stars seem preordained for greatness. Julius Randle was much more of the self-made variety.

Sure, he's a former top-10 pick (seventh overall in 2014), but he's also someone that two different teams allowed to walk away in free agency. Even when the Knicks landed him on a three-year, $63 million deal in 2019, the signing wasn't exactly celebrated. The Athletic's Zach Harper graded the signing as a D-plus, and that included a boost for making the third year only partially guaranteed.

So, no, this wasn't some hoops prodigy making good on the promise that everyone could see. Instead, these were the rewards reaped by a player who honed his skill set piece-by-piece and emerged as the leader and No. 1 option of the Eastern Conference's No. 4 seed.

Naysayers may point to Randle's playoff struggles as proof he's perhaps turning back into a pumpkin—he averaged just 18.0 points on a miserable 29.8 percent shooting—but sweeping judgments should never be made based off of a five-game sample. Not when there's a season's worth of data painting Randle as one of the more productive players in this entire league (24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists).

The veteran forward is up for an extension this summer, and if he doesn't sign it, he'll enter unrestricted free agency in 2022. The Knicks should try to get his signature sooner rather than later. They've been squeezed for star power for a while now. Randle just showed he can be the centerpiece of a good team, and if New York can somehow land an even bigger fish, he might just be the second-best player on a title contender.

The Offense Needs an Upgrade

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Coach Tom Thibodeau knows defense like few other people on his planet. He not only understands how to scheme things up, he also has a knack for getting his players to outwork the opposition night in, night out.

These Knicks were no exception. They have a few impactful stoppers on their squad, but you wouldn't look at this roster and think defensive juggernaut. And yet, when the curtains fell on this campaign, the Knicks were holding down the No. 4 spot in defensive efficiency.

The problem is they were buried down at No. 22 on the opposite end, and that imbalance was always going to be tricky to work around, especially when Trae Young started sapping some of this defense's strength. The Knicks needed to punish the Hawks on offense, and they just didn't have the firepower to do it. Randle was the face of those struggles, but outside of Derrick Rose, did any Knicks players have a good offensive series?

New York needs a little of everything on the offensive end, and a lot of some things.

Randle was the only player to average more than 18 points or five assists. The Knicks were 21st in threes per game despite shooting them at the third-highest clip. RJ Barrett showed flashes as a second option, and Rose and Alec Burks had moments as second-team sparks, but almost everyone looked like they'd benefit from moving down the offensive pecking order by a peg or two.

The Knicks have enough cap space to splurge on a star free agent or the trade chips needed to deal for one. Whatever major moves they make this summer—and there could be several—need to revolve around giving this offense more punch.

The Young Core Is Growing

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Between the hiring of Thibodeau and the addition of some veterans, the Knicks veered into win-now territory with some of their transactions. Ultimately, though, this is a young team with its basketball ahead of it.

As such, the Knicks needed to see growth out of their youngsters this season, and most of them delivered.

Barrett upped just about everything on his stat sheet other than turnovers. Immanuel Quickley hit the ground running to become one of the bigger success stories in his rookie class. It took Obi Toppin longer to get going, but he played some of his best basketball in the postseason. Mitchell Robinson remained an elite rim-runner before injuries prematurely ended his campaign.

All four players could be Big Apple residents for a long time coming, and if they are, that should mean good things for the Knicks. Randle and Rose might be driving the bus for now, but these young Knicks could be ready to take the wheel sooner rather than later.