In the NBA, and really in any league, it’s always about the chase for the stars. It’s about the path to get there — via drafting and developing, via free agency, via a blockbuster trade — and envisioning what those moves could become. The Knicks went through the chase for years before landing Jalen Brunson (free agency), OG Anunoby (trade), Mikal Bridges (trade) and Karl-Anthony Towns (trade) in a span of around 27 months between July 2022 and Oct. 2024. Brooklyn remains scarred by its failed Big 3. The Suns went for the splashes of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal to form a Big 3 alongside Devin Booker, too.
There’s an inherent cost to those dreams, especially when they don’t work out — or, at least, don’t elevate those respective teams to that next tier. Delusional visions and unrealistic interpretations of obstacles cloud what can be considered realistic. The chase turns into a catch-22. And now, entering their game against the 76ers on Wednesday, the Knicks are experiencing that firsthand after losing, again, to both the Celtics and the Cavaliers across the past five days.
The Knicks, still, have 37 wins. They’re objectively one of the best teams in the league and a playoff group. They already have the 10th-best winning percentage in franchise history, and with just 13 wins over the next 25 games, they’ll match their win total of 50 from last season — a mark the franchise had only reached two times in the previous 24 seasons. At their current pace, the Knicks will reach 53 wins, marking their most in a campaign since collecting 54 in 2012-13.
For years, the Knicks were waiting for the star to replace Carmelo Anthony and elevate them back to the status of being one of the league’s top teams. Then, after the Knicks got Brunson and eventually made their run in the 2023 playoffs before falling to the Heat, their quest shifted into finding the second star they could pair with Brunson. And that only became more relevant after an injury-depleted group fell again in the Eastern Conference semifinals to the Pacers last year.