Knicks Have Unique, Vital Opportunity in NBA Cup

The NBA Cup might mean a little something more to a New York Knicks team trying to find itself.

Mar 23, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives past Brooklyn Nets forward Mikal Bridges (1) in the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

There won't be a parade down the Canyon of Heroes. The finale won't be played on MSG Network ad nauseam next to Wiills Reed's walkout or John Starks' dunk over the Chicago Bulls. Some might even resent a banner being raised next to those of Walt "Clyde" Frazier, Mark Messier, and Billy Joel. But the New York Knicks will take what they can get.

After some initial amusement, the hype over the NBA's In-Season Tournament — since rebranded as the NBA Cup with sponsorship from Emirates attached — has somewhat softened. A six-figure prize can only go so far and even the champion Los Angeles Lakers were somewhat lampooned for raising a banner commemorating their victory last winter's inaugural edition next to their 17 postseason championship banners.

The aura around the NBA Cup, if any, could be rendered somewhat favorable if the event opted to lean into a "who's next?" type of attraction. That somewhat loses its meaning when a team led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis wins it all but the knockout staged was peppered with promise.

Nov 24, 2023; New York, New York, USA; General view of the in-season tournament court during warmups before a game between the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings got a chance to introduce themselves to national audiences in last season's quarterfinal, while the Indiana Pacers laid down the groundwork for a surprising conference final run on the Eastern side of the bracket.

Audiences thus unable or unwilling to succumb to NBA League Pass' demands thus got to see some of the B-list stars (i.e. Tyrese Haliburton, Brandon Ingram, Domontas Saboins) on a lofty stage, somewhat freeing them from choking on an excessive diet of James, Nikola Jokic, and Jayson Tatum.

Therein lies the Knicks' opportunity.

The Knicks were another pleasant surprise on last year's early bracket, overcoming an early loss to Milwaukee by handling business against lowly Charlotte and Washington before earning revenge against old postseason foes from Miami. New York impressed well enough mathematically to secure the East's wild card. Though the Knicks fell to Milwaukee again in the quarterfinals, it was an undeniable sign that they could hang with the NBA's elite and were at least worthy of a solo number on the NBA's second-biggest regular season stage behind the Christmas Day slate.

When it comes to year two, everyone knows who the Knicks are ... but the Knicks must show what they can be.

This time around, the world knows what the Knicks are capable of: they should, at the very least, carry homecourt in a first-round playoff series and breaking the franchise's lasting conference final drought is far from too much to ask for. New York assured itself of such heights by trading for Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns to work with a retained contingent headlined by Jalen Brunson.

So far, the results have left plenty to be desired: New York (4-5) has struggled to reattain the heights of last season's 50-win trek. Every turn of the corner thus far has been a mirage and they enter Tuesday's group play opener in Philadelphia (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT) as losers of three of their past four.

Nov 10, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) in the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

No one's going to feel sorry for the Knicks and some early work (particularly the fourth quarter) has been inexcusable but there are plenty of excuses to holster: New York banked on the idea that familiarity from abroad would help pace the early sessions, but a good chunk of that was either traded (Donte DiVincenzo), injured (Cameron Payne, Landry Shamet), or released (Marcus Morris).

Most of those happening were made in the name of acquiring Towns, who has fulfilled duties fairly well despite his defensive lapses. That doesn't excuse the fact, however, that the Knicks are currently a team in need of a push forward, and the only solution is patience.

The team is too talented both mentally and physically and head coach Tom Thibodeau is too smart for things to go completely off the rails, but simply reaching the playoffs is no longer a heartwarming endgame in the Brunson era. The respective returns of Payne and (maybe) Shamet, as well as those of incumbent big men Precious Achiuwa/Mitchell Robinson will help, but the pressure mounts with each lost winning streak.

A run for the Cup would, at the very least, ensure the Knicks that they're on the right track, doing the right thing.

The forces beyond the Knicks' control aren't entirely unmerciful: there have been plenty of other struggles in the East, one of which (the reeling Philadelphia 76ers) resides in the Knicks' Cup group. In fact, what began as a relatively hearty showcase in Group A has devolved into a battle for survival.

The 76ers got New York public enemy Joel Embiid back but now must survive without Tyrese Maxey. The Orlando Magic are without franchise face Paolo Banchero while Charlotte's simply trying to linger in the Play-In picture before rebuilding reality sets in. Somehow, a Brooklyn Nets group sustained by Cam Thomas' breakout might be entering with the most momentum and a good showing in the Cup could partly lead them to become buyers at the trade deadline.

Simply put, if the Knicks can't make headway in such a group, the questions already being asked about their all-in approach to acquiring Bridges and Towns will only get louder. A group win won't convince anyone that the Knicks are ready for the challenges of Eastern top dogs Cleveland and Boston but it'll at least show the plan to make things right is capable of some early progress at a public landmark on the NBA calendar.

The Knicks don't need a parade, the Knicks don't need a banner, the Knicks simply need assurance at this point in time. It just might be hiding inside the Cup.

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