david vertsberger
·4 min read
With this magical 2023-24 Knicks season coming to an end, it’s time to look back and take stock on how each individual team member performed this year.
This won’t include Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and Quentin Grimes, who were traded midseason.
Here are the grades…
Isaiah Hartenstein: A+
Hartenstein was making a solid impact in his usual role off the bench before Mitchell Robinson went down with an ankle injury that benched him for nearly the entire season. Not only did Hartenstein step up in his absence, but likely cement himself as the full-time starter going forward thanks to his offensive versatility and rim protection.
I-Hart was instrumental to both the post-injuries Knicks offense and series win over Joel Embiid and Philly. A major goal this offseason will be to re-sign him to a long term deal.
Julius Randle: B+
Randle got off to a horrid start, unable to find his rhythm after spending most of the offseason rehabbing an ankle injury. Once he got a feel though, it was 2021 on 7th Avenue once again, until a late January shoulder separation ended his season.
OG Anunoby: A
New York’s record with Anunoby playing this year was 26-6, including the playoffs. Unbeknownst to most at the time, his arrival marked this team’s transition from scrappy underdog to legitimate conference contender.
After a feeling-out phase and multiple injuries, Anunoby seemed to finally find his offensive stride with a career half against the Pacers in Game 2, but then went down to injury once again. Keeping him healthy will be vital in future seasons.
Donte DiVincenzo: A+
DiVincenzo supplanted Quentin Grimes in the starting lineup early in the year and never looked back, becoming one of the franchise’s best shooters ever in just one season. He finished second on the team in postseason scoring, averaging 17.8 points on 42.5 percent shooting from three.
Jalen Brunson: A+
What more can be said about this guy. An MVP-caliber regular season followed by a historic playoff run matched only by the game’s all-time greatest players.
Josh Hart: B+
An incredible playoff performance can erase a shakier regular season, and Hart’s did just that. He played 42.2 minutes per night, averaging 14.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists on 37.3 percent shooting from deep in a resilient and remarkable effort.
Mitchell Robinson: A-
Robinson opened the year looking the best he ever did, on track for an All-NBA Defensive Team or more. Unfortunately, an ankle injury took him out before he could capitalize, but he was able to return and make his impact felt in a physical series against Embiid.
Miles McBride - A
McBride was about to spend another year starving for garbage time before the Anunoby trade pushed him into the rotation. He responded with an absolute breakout year behind his shooting and defense.
Highlights include joining the starting lineup in the final months as an effective compliment to Brunson, and a handful of huge playoff performances. McBride’s growth may quietly be the biggest development of this Knicks season.
Precious Achiuwa: B+
Few expected much out of Achiuwa when he joined the Knicks in the Anunoby trade, but after the injuries he stepped up big, then stayed ready come the playoffs. Knicks fans shouldn’t forget his Game 4 shutdown of Embiid anytime soon.
Bojan Bogdanovic: C-
Bogdanovic struggled early on as a Knick, looking out of place defensively and not finding his shot. He seemed to be catching a groove come the postseason, but shot poorly there as well until he became the latest Knicks injury bug victim.
Alec Burks: B
How much credit do you assign Burks for putting up massive numbers in a losing series after a shoddy regular season? Knicks fans are hoping to see more of the former and less of the latter if he remains on the team.
Jericho Sims: C+
In his third season as emergency center, Sims didn’t show much evolution from the previous two. Unfortunately, the clock’s running short on him being an intriguing prospect, and is starting on him becoming a full-fledged contributor, should he get the chance.
Tom Thibodeau: A-
Let’s be clear: this team is nothing and nowhere without Tom Thibodeau. It’s his culture that they’ve bought into, that’s produced the winningest Knicks teams in decades, and that allowed them to finish the second seed and top the reigning MVP with half a healthy roster.
Previous complaints regarding rotation flexibility and slow adjustments were largely disproven. However, there is still something to the load Thibs has put on his team, and how that may have shaped their outcome.
Overall team: A
Not sure what else Knicks fans could have asked for. A conference finals trip would’ve been nice, but losing most of your rotation basically absolves the team of falling short.
The result may not have been ideal, but the process was a shot of adrenaline into Knicks fans’ systems. This team’s effort, grit and defensive approach was a throwback to the 90’s, and made for dozens of memories that will live with Knicks fans forever.
