The Villanova three could possibly run New York this season. Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo, has formed a combo that no one would have expected and that’s why it’s great.
The New York Knicks have made playoff basketball in two of their last three seasons, most recently going 47-35, losing in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The last time New York saw past the semis was in 1999, when they lost in the Eastern Conference Finals.
New York needed a trajectory change and so far acquiring DiVincenzo over the offseason has been the biggest change under the Tom Thibodeau era, at least for team chemistry.
Lets face it: Tom Thibodeau most likely won’t coach the Knicks to a championship. His inability to change in-game dynamics along with holding personal grudges with players are all negatives.
If the Knicks win a championship within the next 1-3 years, it will be due to the players ability to play basketball. Adding DiVincenzo and reuniting him with former college teammates of Brunson and Hart adds immense amounts of team chemistry.
DiVincenzo is a true two-way player and I’m not talking about contracts. His ability to come off the bench with inconsistent minutes and then start the next game and still put up the same world-class results are huge to any team.
Not to mention the Knicks have Julius Randle on the team, who averaged 20+ points on a nightly basis last season.
The Knicks are in good shape and are expected to make playoff basketball once again, it’s just a matter of how far they will go.