The Knicks preseason was promising. Some games were messy, some games looked alright. Not perfect. They tried though, you could tell even with some of the main guys out. Towns wasn’t playing due to a sore quad. Hart’s back is hurting. Robinson’s out because of his ankle.
That’s a lot of missing pieces, and you begin to notice it. Still, the team didn’t freak out. Nobody’s complaining we can’t win because of it. Brunson still ran the court, calm like usual. There were shots, passes, covering, hustling and just overall trying. Everyone was doing what they could. Depth is there more than people think.
Preseason wins aren’t really that important, but the rhythm matters and so does trust. You could see it during this preseason. Defense didn’t fall apart even with new lineups. That doesn’t just happen. It only works if you pay attention, watch the guy next to you and do your part.
I wouldn’t get too excited because, obviously, the regular season is different. Still, if they all come together and play, it could have a lot of potential. Maybe better than people think. Maybe not.
The best part is the mindset. It’s not about the wins or the highlights; it’s about playing like you care for each other instead of waiting on someone else to step up and do it for you. That kind of mindset matters. Injuries suck, obviously, but the effort and attitude are more important. That’s what you take from preseason.
Every player needs to know what to do. Even if it looks messy, you need to see the ball moving, backs getting covered and people out there trying. That’s not on paper, that’s based on what we can see on the court.
Preseason is just the beginning. It’s important fans keep watching and encouraging the team to keep progressing.
If they keep consistent work and progress despite their guys being out, this could be a solid season. They’re not perfect by any means, but it’s a start and could get better. It could be fun, messy, exciting, frustrating and maybe even awesome. We’ll see.
