The last time the Knicks won 60+ games, “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston topped the Billboard Hot 100, Jurassic Park was the highest-grossing movie of the year, and Bill Clinton had just been inaugurated as president. Since the Knicks, 13 different teams have won more than 60 games in a season, and many have done it multiple times. The most recent teams were the 2023-24 Boston Celtics, the 2021-22 Phoenix Suns, and the 2018-19 Milwaukee Bucks.
The Knicks have had their fair share of misery. But that ended two years ago when the Knicks signed Jalen Brunson to a four-year $104 million deal. Since then, they have been steadily climbing. A 47-win season followed by a 50-win season and back-to-back playoff appearances. Amidst this run, Brunson has steadily emerged as the leader of the Knicks. He has been heralded by many as the Savior. ESPN predicts the Knicks will go 53-29 this season.
Prediction: Knicks Have First 60+ Win-Season since 1992-93
Easy Schedule
The Knicks have the fifth-easiest schedule in the NBA (based on last year’s win totals). Their opponents had a 0.496 win percentage last season, and more teams will be worse. The Eastern Conference is much easier than the West, and there’s reason to believe some teams might be worse. The Brooklyn Nets recouped their own picks after trading away Mikal Bridges, and have no incentive to play well. The Chicago Bulls traded away Alex Caruso and lost DeMar DeRozan in free agency. The Wizards are still very early in their rebuild. The Hawks are aimlessly wandering right now.
Last Season
Despite all the injuries last season, the Knicks played like a 61-win team when Brunson was on the floor. In the very, very limited time that OG Anunoby spent on the Knicks, they played like a 70-win team. The Knicks were +21.7 when Anunoby played. The Knicks went 12-2 with Julius Randle, Brunson, and Anunoby. They beat the Timberwolves, the 76ers, the Nuggets, and the Heat during that stretch.
Offseason
Yes, they lost Isaiah Hartenstein, but they are much deeper this year than they previously were. The addition of Tyler Kolek and Cam Payne gives the team depth at the point guard position. This will make it easier on Brunson as he does not need to play 40-ish minutes every night like he had to. The same goes for Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo. The trio of Brunson, Hart, and DiVincenzo combined to average 117.7 minutes last season.
The front office did a brilliant job of surrounding this core with a good supporting cast. The Knicks have 8 guys that are starters in this league. Adding Bridges gives the Knicks another Anunoby-esque wing, and his stellar health record means that they will not run short on premier defenders. Bridges’ defense dipped in his time in Brooklyn, likely due to a much heavier offseason load. In the Garden, Bridges is not the first or second scorer. He’ll get his 15-18 points a game and play elite defense, all while having the best time of his life.
The Last Word on the Bold Prediction
Certain things have to fall in place for the Knicks to cross the 60-win threshold. But hey, Boston was in a similar position last offseason. Furthermore, the fact that they don’t have Kristaps Porzingis till December is brutal for them, as that means that Luke Kornet will get consistent minutes. The Knicks should try to exploit the East as long as they can, and they have the tools in place to do so.
