National Basketball Association

5 reasons the Knicks will make the playoffs in 2016-17

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The New York Knicks made serious changes in the offseason to try and help them contend in the Easter Conference. Here are five reasons that they will make the playoffs this season.

The Knicks seem to have as much upside as they do question marks. Can Carmelo Anthony stay healthy while maintaining his level of play? Will Kristaps Porzingis take the next step that people are expecting or is a sophomore slump in his future? Can Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah return to 2011 form? If all this goes right, the sky’s the limit? Probably not, the playoffs are the limit.

There are expectations that are realistic and unrealistic. Rose said he sees the Knicks as a “super-team.” Some say Eastern Conference Finals but realistically, this team just needs to get into the playoffs. Head coach Jeff Hornacek has had a lot of good things to say about the team and what they plan to do on offense.

5. Kristaps Porzingis

The reason Porzingis had so many critics when he was drafted was because no one had seen him play and his weight was a problem.

Porzingis quickly shut the critics up. In 72 games as a rookie, KP averaged 14.3 PPG, 7.3 RBP and nearly two blocks per game. He showed the ability to shoot from three-point range, score in the post and play defense with the best of them. Selected fourth overall, Porzingis quickly emerged as the league’s number two rookie last year, behind Karl Anthony-Towns. And he’s only getting better.

Porzingis focused on ball-handling in the offseason and showed some of it off in preseason. Imagine a 7-foot-3 forward who can shoot three’s, handle the ball and dominate in the post. Well, that is what the Knicks have. They plan to use Porzingis in a lot of pick and pop situations with Rose. The addition of an actual point guard will benefit him greatly.

This season, Porzingis will be the Knicks’ number one bright spot. He will be an all-star and with weapons around him, he will take off and average close to 20 PPG. This will help the Knicks charge into the playoffs as a middle of the pack seed.

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4. Hunger and Determination

The Knicks are one of the most famous NBA franchises. Playing in New York at Madison Square Garden puts them in the eye of the public a lot. They have had a few bad seasons in a row due to the fact that they never have first-round draft picks. But Phil Jackson didn’t waste the one we had and he did all he could to put a winning team on the court.

The players on the Knicks want to be there and win for the fans. Carmelo Anthony went to Syracuse and always loved New York. Porzingis said before the draft that he was hoping to be drafted by the Knicks. Joakim Noah grew up a Knick fan. Brandon Jennings said he wanted the Knicks to draft him but when they didn’t, he always wanted to come. These are players that are hungry to bring success to the Big Apple.

This team knows they can be good. Rose called them a “super-team” and that shows the confidence that the Knicks have. They have guys who are trying to resurrect their careers, guys who want to build a legacy and guys who want to take the next step as players in this league. This will drive this team to success.

At the end of the season, don’t expect the Knicks to be raising any trophies but they will be in the playoffs and this will build a foundation for years to come.

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3. Weak Eastern Conference

The Eastern Conference was actually better then people expected last season. Every team in the playoffs was over .500 and 10 teams were either at or over .500 in the regular season. But at the end of the day, the conference still isn’t that strong. Aside form the Cavs who will most likely represent the East again in the Finals, it’s all wide open.

This is not saying that the East will go back to being laughable and having multiple teams under .500 in the playoffs but a lot has happened this offseason to make people think that it will not be as strong as last season.

The Raptors should take a step back this year. The Heat lost Dwyane Wade and they will suffer for that and the Hawks will feel the effects of losing Jeff Teague and the addition of Dwight Howard won’t make much of a difference. On the other hand, teams like the Celtics and the Pacers will be much improved this year and should be near the top of the conference.

Now, the Knicks are not expected to be near the top of the conference but there is no reason why they can’t be a five seed if all goes right. They will compete for second in the division with the Raptors behind the Celtics. Playing in the East is way different then the West because many more teams have chances.

A five or six seed is likely calling the Knicks name this season but the second round most likely is not.

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2. Jeff Hornacek

Phil Jackson made a huge mistake when he hired Derek Fisher to coach the Knicks. Finally getting rid of him last year, Jackson handed the team over to Kurt Rambis, 0 for 2. There was speculation that Jackson was thinking about bringing back Rambis as head coach but thankfully he went a different direction. That direction was Jeff Hornacek and the Knicks finally have themselves a coach.

Hornacek previously coached the Suns for two and a half seasons. During his time there, he compiled a record of 101-112 and never made the playoffs. This was mostly because Phoenix never gave him any players to work with. He has that on the Knicks.

Hornacek loves to play up-tempo basketball. This works into the Knicks favor with athletes like Derrick Rose and Courtney Lee running the show. The Knicks also have big men who can get up and down the floor in Porzingis and Noah. This is something they need to do to be successful. The Knicks were near the bottom of the league last year with under 10 fast break PPG.

Jackson has made it clear over the years that he wants to run the triangle offense and the new head coach is not arguing but it will be a fast paced version. Hornacek plans to do a lot of pick and roll with Rose, Melo and Porzingis. This will open up three-point opportunities for their shooters.

It has been a long time since the Knicks have had a good head coach but it looks like the days of Mike Woodson and Mike D’Antoni are over. Hornacek will lead the Knicks to the playoffs in his first season and this will solidify that he is here to stay.

Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

1. New Additions

No matter how great your coach is, no matter how loud the fans are, this is the NBA and to win you need players. The last few seasons the Knicks had players the likes of Lou Amundson, Sasha Vujacic and Travis Wear.

Now, Jackson has finally put pieces around Carmelo Anthony who made it clear he wants to retire in New York. The Knicks went into the offseason with really only two positions set, that was Melo and Porzingis. On June 23rd, Jackson began putting together the puzzle. He sent Robin Lopez, Jose Calderon and Jerian Grant to Chicago for Derrick Rose, Justin Holiday and a 2017 second-round pick.

Once free agency hit, Jackson was back at it. On July 1st, the Knicks agreed to a deal with Joakim Noah and only two days later they locked up Courtney Lee. This created a starting five of Rose, Lee, Melo, KP and Noah. That is 100% better then what they were running out last season.

Probably the most under rated addition was point guard Brandon Jennings. The Knicks signed Jennings to a one-year deal but expect him to stick around for many more. Jennings at one time was a feared point guard who can score the ball and had great speed. Another thing Jennings brings is toughness. Whenever he is on the court there is an immediate spark.

The Knicks finally have players that can help them compete and should lead them into the playoffs. Many are locked up in multi-year deals and those who are not should be extended by the end of the season. This is a team that can be together for years if all goes right. There is a lot of if’s with the Knicks but that is every NBA team. They will be exciting to watch, for sure.