Well, that was depressing to watch. The 2023-24 Knicks season has come to a close after a 130-109 loss in game seven at the Garden. To say the Pacers played the game of their lives today would be an understatement, as they shot the lights out at The World’s Most Famous Arena, going 53-79 from the floor for a 67% day. They were particularly brilliant from the floor in the first half, shooting 76% over the first two quarters, which essentially killed any chance at a Knicks comeback. Full marks to the Pacers, as unlikable as Tyrese Haliburton and Rick Carlisle are, they got it done in this series against most predictions including my own. They’re a deep athletic team that is well coached and has a bright future. It’s hard to not feel cheated as a Knicks fan due to the injuries but that shouldn’t diminish the Pacers accomplishment. Ultimately, they made the play that won this series, as nothing made a bigger difference than Andrew Nembhard’s game winning three in game three.

But, enough about the Pacers, Celtics in five. Let’s get back to talking about the Knicks and the season we all just witnessed. Last year’s trip to the second round was a good prelude to what would lie ahead for this group and the fan base, and the hope was that some upgrades would get the Knicks closer to being a title contender. The continued emergence of Jalen Brunson and the of the “Villanova Trio” with Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart doing their part to elevate this team made them harder to play against. Isaiah Hartenstein and Julius Randle were forming a formidable tandem in the paint and Mitchell Robinson contributed when healthy. Deuce McBride became a fan favorite and a player to be excited about going forward and deadline additions like Alec Burks and Bojan Bogdanovic chipped in during the playoff run. No new Knick endeared himself more to the fans than OG Anunoby who helped lead the team to the impressive second half record they posted and will clearly be a key piece next season.

Just about all of these faces will be back next season, at least for the moment barring a trade, as nine members of the current rotation are under contract through next season. The most important pending free agent is Isaiah Hartenstein, who will undoubtedly be paid handsomely for his services this summer though the Knicks are likely to keep him at this time. OG Anunoby has a player option, one that he will likely exercise but again, for now the expectations are that he will return to the Knicks next season. The front office will also be looking to get extensions done with Jalen Brunson, who is open to one, and a new deal for head coach Tom Thibobdeau is expected to be announced soon after the seasons conclusion.

All this is to say that next year should see this team do just as well in the regular season at minimum if not better and hopefully they will have more injury luck in the playoffs. They have a lot of draft capital and some cap flexibility to use to their advantage this summer so it’s safe to assume that some additions will be made to this group. GM Leon Rose needs to stay aggressive and maximize the chance for this team to win, because the window is opening now. They already have one star and have surrounded him with a solid supporting cast, now it’s time to continue loading this roster up with more players that fit their never say die, hard-nosed culture. Whatever gets us more memorable MSG nights like this I am on board with.

This town will miss this team as their half of the dream spring has come to a close. Its cruel that their run was ruined by an array of injuries far beyond their control, as they deserved the chance to compete in the playoffs at full strength. Losing Randle back in the wintertime was tough, losing Robinson, Bogdanovic, Anunoby and Brunson in the playoffs was just flat out unfair. Don’t listen to the folks that want to blame the injuries on Thibs style of coaching, as this group plays hard for him willingly on a nightly basis, unlike the rest of this league. Ignore the attention seekers in the media like Paul Pierce and Stephan A. Smith and the haters at TNT, as they will all work to degrade this Knicks team despite their success. The only real shame of this series is letting Reggie Miller think he got one over on the Knicks because “his Pacers” pulled it out.

Celebrate this team and its players, they gave us everything and finally repaid the fans for their passion after years of embarrassment. Back-to-back trips to the playoffs with a series win are a big deal for this franchise, given how poorly things have gone in the last 20 years, and hopefully it is only the beginning of even more success to come. There is good news in New York though, we still have the Rangers on a run and their round three series starts Wednesday! So, stay loud and proud and show this team the appreciation they deserve for doing it their way!

This team has been a pleasure to cover, and I will continue this series once the offseason begins. You can find me on Twitter @YNWA9623 and subscribe to the site by hitting the follow button in the bottom right corner and entering your email address. Check out our Instagram feed @thebroadwaybreakdownsports for special gameday and promotional content. We have also launched a podcast which carries the same name as the Instagram account. Check out our new mailbag page to join the conversation here on the site and on our partners show, The Rangers Ed Podcast! Stay tuned for a Rangers versus Panthers round three preview podcast to drop soon. Go New York Go New York Go!