The NBA is about to bring us real-stakes basketball with the preseason in the rearview mirror and the regular season starting early next week.
Your New York Knicks completed the exhibition circuit with an exquisite 4-1 record, only losing one game, but with a few players getting banged up in a more concerning development than that single ‘L’ across the pre-campaign.
With all of that said, and before real hoops are played in NYC, starting with a season-opening matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers
on Wednesday, we’re here to present the Posting & Toasting Pre-Season Award Predictions.
MVP — Jalen Brunson
Unless a certain Greek big man forces his way to New York, Brunson will remain the best, most important, and most valuable player on the Knicks. Not only does he provide a level of stability and accountability off the court that Knicks fans have longed for, but he has also turned himself into a two-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA player, the reigning Clutch Player of the Year, and a playoff riser that is among the best postseason players in the league.
With new head coach Mike Brown having emphasized player and ball movement over the heliocentric offense the Knicks had run under Tom Thibodeau, Brunson’s numbers will likely take a slight hit. But it’s hard to see a world where Brunson, who’s always been a cerebral player, doesn’t find new ways to remain deadly and proficient as a scorer.
As the consensus leader and best player on a team that is among the two teams favored to represent the Eastern Conference in the Finals, Brunson has the chance to not only be the MVP of the Knicks but of the league.
Defensive Player of the Year — OG Anunoby
This is a tough one because Mitchell Robinson has a very strong case to win this award. Knicks fans have seen Robinson change the trajectory of not just games, but seasons, with his relentless rebounding, rim protection, and overall havoc-causing activity on the defensive end. And one thing Robinson does better than anyone else on this roster is have an echoing impact on the team’s defense as a whole.
New York has solid to great defenders in Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, Deuce McBride, and Anunoby, but nobody comes close to Robinson in terms of making his teammates’ jobs easier on that end of the floor.
Unfortunately for Robinson, though, that is precisely why I’m picking Anunoby. Robinson will likely be the unsung hero for the Knicks this season for multiple reasons, and propping up Anunoby’s potential defensive player of the year campaign may be one of them.
Anunoby has always been one of the elite perimeter defenders in the league, but with Robinson having his back and anchoring the defense with his aforementioned activity and communication, I expect the former Toronto Raptor to shine brighter than he ever has on that end of the floor.
Robinson’s injury concerns and the fact that we’ve already heard murmurs of him potentially missing back-to-backs make me think Anunoby ends up being the favorite.
Most Improved Player of the Year — Deuce McBride
I had high hopes for McBride last season. A lot of Knicks fans did. And most of us were severely disappointed with his development, or lack thereof. Now, while I have taken a temporary hiatus from the “McBride for Sixth Man of the Year Award” campaign, I still believe in the 25-year-old guard.
It’s hard to read too much into preseason games, but McBride showed some nice flashes of an improved handle and finishing ability to go along with his outside shooting and always outstanding defense. With the overwhelming majority of this roster being in their primes already, I just can’t see anyone else winning this award.
With Brown’s new system and another year under his belt, McBride has everything he needs to evolve into the bench player who can help take the Knicks over the top.
Sixth Man of the Year — Josh Hart
Hart doesn’t fit the kind of bench player mold that often shines as a Sixth Man of the Year award winner. He doesn’t score like Jamal Crawford, Lou Williams, Jason Terry, or former Knicks flamethrower J.R. Smith. That honor would belong to Jordan Clarkson. And McBride may find himself closing more games than Hart will under coach Brown.
I still see Hart as being a key cog in the Knicks’ season. A lot of us, myself included, can take Hart for granted, especially when he’s seemingly making the lives of the team’s two best players more difficult with his lack of outside shooting, clumsy passes, and boneheaded defensive mistakes. Yet it wasn’t that long ago that Hart won over the entire fanbase with his hustle, rebounding, defense, and uncanny ability to be at the right place at the right time.
Hart’s injuries heading into the season are a bit worrisome. But if he’s even remotely ready to go, he will be out there. And when he’s on the court, and is being utilized correctly —something Thibodeau refused to do — Hart can, and likely still will, be a very productive winning player.
I think a motivated Hart, who can play more freely, and to his strengths with the second unit, should remind everyone just how good a player he is.
What are your thoughts? Who do you have in your shortlist of award-winning Knicks? Let us know in the comments section below!
