The Knicks arguably had the best offseason of any team in the NBA. They traded for Mikal Bridges and handed out extensions to Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby, forming a strong core that could compete for the title in the upcoming campaign as well as the foreseeable future. Kevin Garnett has high hopes for the franchise and believes it’s not a matter of if, but when the team wins the title.
Advertisement
On the KG Certified podcast, the Hall of Famer lauded the Knicks’ front office for building a strong core and surrounding them with terrific complementary pieces. He guaranteed that the franchise’s current core would end the team’s five-decade-long wait for a championship. He said,
“The Knicks gonna win it. They’re gonna win this motherf*****r at some point… The Knicks gonna be in here, I don’t know when but they building it for the future.”
The Celtics legend explained that he’s confident about the Knicks’ odds of competing despite losing Isaiah Hartenstein to free agency and Mitchell Robinson to injury until December or January. He believes the roster has enough talent to play the four-out, one-in tactic as all their guards and forwards can create shots for themselves and convert at a good rate.
Additionally, he believes the Knicks’ chemistry would give them a massive advantage in the playoffs.
‘Nova Knicks’ hold the key to New York’s fortune
Bridges is the fourth former Villanova player to join the Knicks roster after Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo. The quartet not only played for the same team in college but were also teammates and won a National Championship together.
Their experience playing and winning together is presumably one of the primary reasons why the Knicks went all-out to acquire Bridges from the Nets and reunite him with his former college teammates.
The ‘Nova Knicks,’ as they are now fondly dubbed, not only have terrific chemistry off the court but also on it. Brunson, Hart, and DiVincenzo’s excellent performances were one of the primary reasons why New York was able to have an excellent regular season and beat the 76ers in the first round of the playoffs.
Injuries played a massive role in their heartbreaking Game 7 loss to the Pacers in the second round. However, in Bridges, they not only added an excellent two-way star but also a player who hasn’t missed a single game in his NBA career.
The stars are aligning for the Knicks to have their best campaign in half a century. It remains to be seen if the Nova Knicks can deliver on the promise.
