In order to increase their chances of winning it all, the New York Knicks signed a player who is notorious in Sixers history after eliminating the Sixers from the playoffs the previous year. Have they had enough?

Can Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges, former college teammates who are now crosstown rivals and professional teammates, help the New York Knicks win a championship?The Sixers have locked up a large portion of their 2024–25 roster more than a month before the start of a franchise-altering free agency. Now is the time to assess the teams that oppose them in the Eastern Conference: which playoff teams from the previous campaign are the greatest threats to the Sixers, and how do they match up with this new-look team?After suffering terrible injury news all season, the Knicks were defeated by the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the playoffs the previous year. While OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson, and Bojan Bogdanovic all lost significant amounts of time in both the regular season and the playoffs, Julius Randle was out for the final several months of the regular season and the entire postseason. Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson were both hurt by the time the team was eliminated.In keeping with their tradition of acquiring former Villanova Wildcats, the Knicks dealt Bogdanovic to the Brooklyn Nets for Mikal Bridges in exchange for five first-round picks, one first-round pick swap, and a ton of other assets.The organization gave Anunoby more priority in free agency than starter center Isaiah Hartenstein, even with Bridges on the roster. Hartenstein left for the Oklahoma City Thunder, but Anunoby returned on a huge five-year contract.Though getting Brunson to sign a four-year extension at a price far below his market value may have been the most important move the Knicks made for their long-term health, it should allow them to eventually sign Bridges to a long-term contract along with Brunson and Anunoby, with the possibility that Randle will stay on as well if he and the team can agree on a fair amount.How a returning Randle can mesh with not just Bridges but also the fully developed superstar version of Brunson who has taken the league by storm is arguably the biggest concern facing the Knicks right now. Although Randle has developed into a very strong offensive player and is quite ball-dominant, he is not nearly as creative or as prolific as Brunson. Would the Knicks be better off just not paying Randle in the age of the NBA’s punishing second apron when they already have several elite offensive players?The loss of Hartenstein, who made a name for himself as a solid starting center with his superb rebounding and rim protection, flawless touch around the rim, and some amazing passing skills, is undoubtedly the most alarming. The Knicks now have questionable depth at center, in addition to losing a fantastic player who was essential to their success in the previous campaign. When healthy, Robinson is a good player, but he struggles with ailments all the time and is not as good as Hartenstein. Achiuwa was able to return to the squad and serve as their backup center.

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