One of the keys to finding sustained success during the marathon NBA regular season is having a culture and game plan to fall back on. Since Tom Thibodeau took over as head coach of the New York Knicks, they have had that.
You know what you are going to get from Thibodeau-led teams. They are going to be hard-nosed, physical teams that rely on their defense. Hitting the offensive glass is a principle of their success on that end of the court, and you are going to get 100 percent effort and hustle from everyone on the court or they won’t play.
Sticking to those core values has enabled the Knicks to find success despite some major obstacles during the 2023-24 campaign. New York has had to deal with as many injuries as any team in the NBA.
Julius Randle has been sidelined since January 27th because of a separated shoulder and underwent surgery, ending his season. OG Anunoby has missed 26 out of 49 games since being acquired from the Toronto Raptors. Mitchell Robinson played in only 31 games after undergoing ankle surgery.
That has led to role players having to step up and throughout the season, they responded. Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo, Miles McBride and Precious Achiuwa are a few of the players whose numbers were called when the team was short-handed and responded with big performances.
After the team’s victory over the Chicago Bulls in the season finale, star point guard Jalen Brunson gave some insight into what makes things click for the team. They have avoided drama all season, as they are just focused on the task at hand.
Chemistry and cohesion are two things that all successful teams have as well. Coming into the 2023-24 NBA season, it was one of the things that the Knicks had an abundance of compared to other teams in the Eastern Conference.
New York had only one change to their rotation coming into the season; DiVincenzo was replacing Obi Toppin. The trade with the Raptors that netted OG Anunoby and Achiuwa didn’t interrupt the flow of the team despite multiple rotation pieces changing because they fit into the mix seamlessly.
After the game Sunday, DiVincenzo provided some insight as to what helps the Knicks click as much as they do on the court. He believes the relationships and camaraderie that have been built are helping as the players on the team genuinely like each other.
“We genuinely like each other… it’s not for the cameras, everybody in this locker room likes each other. Everybody in this locker room wants everybody else to succeed,” DiVincenzo said, via Knicks Videos on X.
This is a special group that the Knicks have put together. The pieces fit on and off the court, as they are finding success despite players working their way back into the rotation from injury and Randle still being sidelined.
The job Thibodeau has done as head coach cannot be praised enough. Brunson has turned into a legitimate superstar, helping elevate the franchise to heights they have not seen this century. This is a team on the rise as they should be a factor in the Eastern Conference for years to come.
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