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Several realistic goals stand out for the Knicks now that the long postseason drought is over.
The New York Knicks are back where they belong in the NBA Playoffs. The team did well enough to secure the No. 4 seed and thus home-court advantage in the first round against the Atlanta Hawks.
Fans in New York surely have lofty expectations for this upstart bunch in the 2021 NBA Playoffs. Let’s take a look at a few more realistic goals for the Knicks as the postseason begins.
3. Restore the franchise’s reputation for fans and free agents
James Dolan has made this franchise a bit of a mess. He would try to flash cash in free agency, only for stars to sign elsewhere, usually somewhere far less dysfunctional.
The emergence of this Knicks team, led by Julius Randle and coach Tom Thibodeau, is slowly but surely changing the narrative around this team. Actually performing well in the playoffs would restore the franchise to its former reputation as a true focal point of the NBA.
The team doesn’t have to sweep the Hawks to do this. In fact, they could even lose the series. But a strong showing would prove this Knicks team is here to stay and should only get better given outside talent coming in.
Fans would also finally be able to have realistic expectations for their team heading into a new season. Gone would be the days of lottery talk, replaced by fantasizing about competing for a championship, and a resurgent Knicks franchise is undoubtedly more attractive to prospective free agents.