The New York Knicks are hoping to repeat as NBA champions in the upcoming season, but their job has become a little harder to repeat.
While the Philadelphia 76ers are gearing up to challenge them by trading for Jaylen Brown and signing LeBron James, the Knicks are focused on figuring out their own team after losing Mitchell Robinson in free agency to the Boston Celtics.
“The Knicks are still in a good position to defend their title: Nine of the top 10 members of their playoff rotation are returning,
and none of their key players appears headed for age-related decline. Still, a team source took a cautious approach when forecasting for next season, warning about the possibility of a championship hangover and noting that the Knicks’ 3-point shooting could regress next spring after they ranked first in the 2026 postseason,” ESPN contributor Ben Golliver wrote.
Robinson sets the tone for the team’s defense, and not having him on the floor will change how every player operates for the Knicks on both ends of the floor. It remains to be seen how the team will adjust, as Robinson’s replacement Andre Drummond is not a plug-and-play type of situation. Drummond will take Robinson’s minutes, but he likely won’t have the same impact on both ends of the floor.
No team has repeated as champions since the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018. It’s a difficult feat to accomplish, especially with so many high-octane teams at the top of the heap in both conferences.
The Knicks won’t have it easy to repeat and the second apron is definitely not doing them any favors.
