"It's over!
It's over
Knick fans
This is not a dream
Your long long wait has ended
Go ahead and cry
After 53 years
The Knicks are finally
NBA champions once again"
–– Mike Breen on this day a month ago
The Knicks just re-signed Jordan Clarkson and quietly finished the smartest offseason in the league.
No big splash, no panic. Just continuity and chemistry.
They brought back virtually the entire championship rotation. The only losses are Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukporti. They'll miss Robinson's defense, but Drummond brings elite rebounding off the bench in his place. Everyone else is back, and everyone knows their role.
That's the whole point. Chemistry won them the title. Nobody on that roster is above the team.
Now think about what they didn't do.
Rich Paul said Brunson would have to personally call LeBron and clear the way for him to sign, and that if the Knicks didn't win the championship, it would've been a done deal. I love LeBron, he's arguably the GOAT, but someone who supposedly wants to take a step back doesn't need the Finals MVP to call and kiss the ring, or come in and be the savior. That tells you exactly how the last shot, crunch time minutes, and the starting lineup conversation would've gone.
Same with DeRozan. When's the last time he came off the bench? When's the last time he wasn't a top 1-3 scoring option? You think he's playing 15 minutes a night behind this rotation? Doubt it.
The rest of the East hit the panic button. The Knicks broke the league and then just ran it back.
Super underrated moment of the Knicks playoff run:
Deuce McBride starts in place of the injured OG Anunoby and drops 7 threes EARLY.
Completely embarrassed Philly.