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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
How Knicks answer key questions following deep playoff run will impact fantasy values next season
The NBA playoffs are where stars rise and weaknesses get exposed. For every team sent packing, we'll analyze the standout players primed for growth and a major question mark that could impact the team's fantasy value ahead of the 2025-26 season. Up next, the New York Knicks. The Knicks' playoff journey wrapped up Saturday night as the Indiana Pacers finished them off in six games. Now, New York heads into the offseason with a lot to think about. This was the best team Knicks fans have seen in 25 years. And despite a successful regular season that saw all five starters finish within the top 100 in fantasy basketball 9-cat rankings, the playoffs reinforced a glaring weakness: depth. Advertisement With most of their bench contributors struggling to offer meaningful support due to Tom Thibodeau's commitment to running players into the ground, the heavy burden on the starters once again proved unsustainable. Yet, amid the disappointment, there's still plenty to be optimistic about heading into next season — starting with OG Anunoby. OG Anunoby bounces back in Year 2 with Knicks I was more into Mikal Bridges than Anunoby this year, but I've flipped my position. While Bridges is an ironman, Anuoby offers more cross-category production. Anunoby outperformed his ADP by four rounds, finishing inside the top 40 for the third time in his career. More importantly, he played over 70 games for the first time since his rookie year. While those numbers may not scream superstardom, the context matters. Anunoby's usage increased to nearly 20% this season, the second-highest of his career. Look at his usage growth over the final two months of the season and how the increased opportunity led to a higher scoring rate. Data from 2024-25 season. With the Knicks being overly reliant on Jalen Brunson, sending some of his usage to Anunoby could be beneficial in the long run. He's efficient, locks up on defense and should continue to be the third option on offense in the future. Anunoby turns 28 in July, so he's approaching his prime, and more volume only increases his fantasy value. He's a high-floor guy whom I'd target near the late fifth or early sixth round. Brunson & Karl-Anthony Towns make an elite combo Towns' reunion with Thibs resulted in another first-round fantasy finish. He's a walking double-double and one of the best shooters in the game for his size. He's a top-five option next season — though there are some questions if he'll back with the Knicks? Advertisement Of course, no Knicks fantasy breakdown is complete without mentioning the rock of their roster, Jalen Brunson. The NBA's Clutch Player of the Year was one of the most valuable point guards across formats. He carried a hefty 29.5% usage rate and maintained a high level of efficiency, shooting at a 49% clip and making over 82% of his free throws. He's the heart and soul of New York's offense, and his fantasy production matched that role exactly. He's locked in as a second-round pick moving forward, and there's little reason to expect a decline. Josh Hart, the unheralded fantasy MVP One of the most underrated players this season, though, was Josh Hart. Sporting a 10th-round ADP in preseason drafts, Hart smashed expectations, closing the season 26th overall in 9-cat leagues. Hart's ability to rebound like a big with the versatility of a guard on both ends made him an invaluable asset —both in real life and fantasy. Advertisement He ended the season with nine triple-doubles — a franchise record — and was a mainstay in Thib's tight rotation. Hart's ability to contribute across the board makes him a mid-round gem in category formats, and his versatility ensures he'll maintain strong value regardless of role changes next season. The question is, will he be overdrafted? What's good with the bench? Unless the Knicks decide to get bold and break up their Big Five, the biggest offseason question is how they'll reconfigure their bench. Outside of the top five, production plummeted. Depth remains their Achilles' heel, and for fantasy managers, it introduces volatility in assessing player workloads. If New York adds reliable scoring and playmaking to the second unit, it could ease the burden on stars like Brunson and Towns, preserving their health. Or maybe it's as simple as giving more reps to Deuce McBride, Mitchell Robinson and a slew of younger guys in the pipeline. As long as Thibs is the head coach of the Knicks, his starters will likely be among the league leaders in minutes played, which typically translates into more on-court production.
New York Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Where each Knicks player stands heading into an offseason full of questions
A look at the Knicks roster heading into the offseason: Jalen Brunson Stats: 26.0 PPG, 7.3 APG, 2.9 RPG Advertisement Contract status: 2025-26: $34.9M; 2026-27: $37.7M; 2027-28: $40.5M; 2028-29: Player option for $43.3M. Skinny: Brunson has become an elite NBA guard, named the league's Clutch Player of the Year. The captain led the Knicks to the conference finals for the first time in 25 years, averaging 29.4 points and seven assists in the playoffs. Karl-Anthony Towns Stats: 24.4 PPG, 12.8 RPG, 3.1 APG Contract Status: 2025-26: $53.1M; 2026-27: $57M; 2027-28: Player option for $61M. Advertisement Skinny: Overall, his first season as a Knick was strong. Towns was an All-Star and an All-NBA third-team selection, adding a new offensive dimension to the team. The postseason showcased his defensive flaws, particularly against the ball-moving, up-tempo Pacers. 6 Karl-Anthony Towns dribbles during the Knicks' Game 6 loss to the Pacers on May 31. Charles Wenzelberg OG Anunoby Stats: 18.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.2 APG Advertisement Contract Status: 2025-26: $39.5M; 2026-27: $42.5M; 2027-28: $45.4M; 2028-29: Player option for $48.3M 6 OG Anunoby attempts a shot during the Knicks' Game 6 loss to the Pacers on May 31. Charles Wenzelberg Skinny: His defense on Pistons star Cade Cunningham was key in the first-round series victory, and he played a major role in ousting the defending champion Celtics in the second round. The two-way wing also notched a personal best in scoring during the regular season, although his shooting dipped in the playoffs. Mikal Bridges Stats: 17.6 PPG, 3.7 APG, 3.2 RPG Advertisement Contract status: 2025-26: $24.9M. 6 Mikal Bridges delivered with his defense during the Knicks' series against the Celtics. Charles Wenzelberg Skinny: His postseason was similar to his first regular season with the Knicks: Uneven. There were bright spots — like the two clutch stops in the first two games against the Celtics in the second round — but also too many instances when he didn't make enough of an impact. Josh Hart Stats: 13.6 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 5.9 APG Contract Status: 2025-26: $19.4M; 2026-27: $20.9M; 2027-28: Team option for $22.3M. Follow The Post's coverage of the Knicks in the 2025 NBA Playoffs Sports+ subscribers: Sign up for Inside the Knicks to get daily newsletter coverage and join Expert Take for insider texts about the series. Skinny: A shaky series against the Pacers shouldn't diminish his year. The gutty Hart set career highs in rebounds, assists, steals and minutes, and was instrumental in the series upset of the Celtics, averaging 14.5 rebounds, 8.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists. Miles McBride Stats: 9.5 PPG, 2.9 APG, 2.5 RPG Advertisement Contract status: 2025-26: $4.3M; 2026-27: $3.9M Skinny: He found his shot in the playoffs and led the Knicks in NET rating at plus-4.3. Owed just over $8M the next two years, McBride is a bargain. Mitchell Robinson Stats: 5.1 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.1 BPG Advertisement Contract status: 2025-26: $12.9M Skinny: A difference-maker in the playoffs after appearing in only 17 regular-season games following ankle surgery, Robinson was a key piece in the postseason. His 17.2 playoff offensive rebounding percentage was tops among players in the league who saw rotation minutes. Cam Payne Stats: 6.9 PPG, 2.8 APG, 1.4 RPG Contract status: Unrestricted free agent Advertisement 6 Cam Payne eventually lost his spot in the rotation during the Knicks' series against the Pacers. Charles Wenzelberg Skinny: The veteran guard was a playoff disappointment other than his impactful opener against the Pistons. He eventually lost his spot in the rotation to Delon Wright in the Pacers series, and was mostly underwhelming during the regular season. Landry Shamet Stats: 5.7 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 0.5 APG Contract status: Unrestricted free agent Advertisement Skinny: Benched for most of the postseason, Shamet made an impact when given a chance against the Pacers. Was a capable bench piece during the regular season. Delon Wright Stats: 4.3 PPG, 2.1 APG, 1.4 RPG Contract status: Unrestricted free agent 6 Delon Wright capitalized on his Knicks chance after earning a rotation spot late in the postseason. Charles Wenzelberg Skinny: Picked up in the Jericho Sims trade in February, Wright was a nonfactor until the Pacers series, when he was given a chance to contribute. He answered the call, giving the Knicks quality minutes behind Brunson. Precious Achiuwa Stats: 6.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.0 APG Contract status: Unrestricted free agent 6 Precious Achiuwa defends during Game 3 of the Knicks' series against the Celtics on May 10. Charles Wenzelberg Skinny: Well-liked and versatile reserve who had a role during large parts of the 51-win regular season, but fell out of the rotation in the playoffs. Could look elsewhere for a bigger opportunity. Tyler Kolek Stats: 2.0 PPG, 1.7 APG, 0.7 RPG Contract status: 2025-26: $2.1M; 2026-27: 2.2M; 2027-28: Team option for $2.4M Skinny: Second-round pick out of Marquette mostly watched and learned as a rookie. Uncertain if the Knicks believe he's ready to serve as Brunson's backup next season. Kevin McCullar Jr. Contract status: Restricted free agent. Skinny: Didn't make his G-League debut until Jan. 31 due to knee surgery, and the second-round pick appeared in just four games with the Knicks. Ariel Hukporti Stats: 1.9 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 0.6 BPG Contract status: 2025-26: Team option for $1.9M. Skinny: The athletic big man has shown glimpses of potential when given a chance. Pacome Dadiet Contract status: 2025-26: $2.8M; 2026-27: Team option for $2.9M; 2027-28: Team option for $5.3M. Skinny: First-round pick from France put up quality numbers in the G-League (14.9 points, 5.4 rebounds) during a rookie season that didn't include much action with the Knicks. P.J. Tucker Stats: 3.0 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 0.3 BPG Contract status: 2025-26: Team option for $3.4M. Skinny: Teammates credited the 40-year-old Tucker, signed in March, for his leadership and knowledge he shared during the playoff run to the conference finals.
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Brunson, Towns come to rescue as Knicks stay alive: Game 5 winners and losers
Brunson, Towns come to rescue as Knicks stay alive: Game 5 winners and losers Show Caption Hide Caption Knicks championship or Yankees WS? We asked fans in the Bronx New York sports fans decide whether they would rather see the Knicks win a championship or the Yankees win a World Series. Sports Seriously NEW YORK — The New York Knicks' season continues for at least one more game after a 111-94 Game 5 victory over the Indiana Pacers Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. Earning their first home win in the series, the Knicks head back to Indianapolis on Saturday night to try to force a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference finals and attempt to become the 14th team in NBA history to come back from a 3-1 best-of-seven series deficit. New York started out aggressively from the outset, with All-NBA performers Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns setting the tone, especially on the defensive end. Indiana is the first team in the series to score less than 100 points in a game, and the loss snapped their six-game road playoff winning streak. Here are the winners and losers from Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks: GAME 5 RECAP, HIGHLIGHTS: Knicks stave off elimination at The Garden Winners Jalen Brunson The Clutch Player of the Year came up clutch again, scoring 16 points in the third quarter, capped by a four-point play for the Knicks, who led by as many as 22 points. Brunson, who hit four three-pointers, scored 32 points and also had five rebounds and five assists, using a variety of moves to get into the paint to score easy buckets. Karl Anthony Towns Towns, who played with a bruised left knee, again bullied his way to the paint with 24 points (17 in the first half) and 13 rebounds as New York outscored Indiana 60-34 in the paint. Towns was big in the second quarter – after Brunson was held scoreless – with 12 points as the Knicks extended their lead. Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart scored 12 points each, and OG Anunoby had 11 in a balanced scoring effort. Knicks' lockdown defense New York gave up 43 points to Indiana in the first quarter of Game 4, as the Pacers scored more than 130 points for the second time in the series. On Thursday, Indiana was held to 45 in the first half. Both teams were horrible from the 3-point line. Indiana shot 10-30 (33.3%), and the Knicks hit only eight of their 29 attempts (27.6%), but New York more than made up for it by dominating in the paint and never letting Indiana's fast-paced offense get out of the starting block. STARS AT THE GARDEN: Celebs watch Knicks' Game 5 win Losers Pacers starters Pascal Siakam was the only Indiana starter who scored in double figures with 15 points, six rebounds and five assists. The Pacers starting five (Siakam, Aaron Nesmith, Myles Turner, Andrew Nembhard, Tyrese Haliburton) scored just 37 of the team's 94 points as Indiana shot 40.5% from the field. Haliburton, who had 32 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds in Game 4, had only eight points (on 2 for-7 shooting) in 32 minutes as he was defended by Mikal Bridges for most of the contest. "Sometimes it's just a combination of him missing some shots he normally makes. I thought our guys were tied together and trying to make him work for everything,' Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said of Haliburton. That's what you have to do. You have to fight to win every possession." Haliburton only scored or assisted on 24% of the Pacers' 94 points in Game 5. In the series' first four games, he scored or assisted on 41% of the team's points. The one bright spot was Pacers reserve Bennedict Mathurin, who continued to produce, scoring a team high 23 points in 25 minutes after putting up 20 points in only 12 minutes of playing time in Game 4. Christmas in May In Game 4, it was the Knicks who played butterfingers with the ball, with 17 turnovers, leading to 20 Indiana points and 22 on the fastbreak. Live-ball turnovers have been the Achilles heel of both teams in the series, with both coaches, Thibodeau and Indiana's Rick Carlisle stressing the importance of not throwing the ball away. Game 5 was a complete reversal with the Pacers in the giving mood, turning the ball over 19 times, leading to 20 New York points. "We lost the rebound battle, we lost the turnover battle, we didn't shoot well," Carlisle said. "They had a lot to do with it, so give them credit, and we're going to have to play much better."
New York Post
26-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Jalen Brunson shakes off rough Game 3 to deliver for Knicks when it mattered
INDIANAPOLIS — For three quarters, it was hard to remember a worse performance from Jalen Brunson in his Knicks tenure. For much of the fourth quarter, he was glued to the bench. Advertisement It didn't matter. He still ended up hitting the biggest shot and nailing the biggest free throws down the stretch of the Knicks' 106-100 Game 3 win over the Pacers Sunday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. His teammates call him Mr. Clutch for a reason. He won the league's Clutch Player of the Year award for a reason. 'It's an emotional game, it's a long game,' Brunson said. 'Things can happen, things can not go your way. You can easily crash out, or you can respond the right way. I got people in my corner, people on this team who believe in me and believe in us. The conversations that we had as a team, the encouragement and everything we do is important, especially throughout a 48-minute game. Just gotta continue to believe.' Advertisement Jalen Brunson (11) of the New York Knicks goes up for a shot between Tyrese Haliburton (0) of the Indiana Pacers and Ben Sheppard (26) of the Indiana Pacers and is fouled by Sheppard during the first quarter. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post Entering the fourth quarter, Brunson was just 4-for-14 from the field. And he had gotten into foul trouble again, then picked up his fifth foul with 7:03 left in the game. The Knicks led by one point at the time, and coach Tom Thibodeau put Miles McBride into the game for Brunson. He sat until the 1:37 mark. 'I knew we had to have him down the stretch,' Thibodeau said. Advertisement Follow The Post's coverage of the Knicks in the 2025 NBA Playoffs Sports+ subscribers: Sign up for Inside the Knicks to get daily newsletter coverage and join Expert Take for insider texts about the series. His intuition paid off. Karl-Anthony Towns' huge fourth quarter carried the Knicks much of that final quarter, but after reentering, Brunson became the Knicks closer. CHECK OUT THE LATEST NBA STANDINGS AND KNICKS STATS Advertisement With the score tied 98-98, Brunson's floater gave the Knicks a two-point lead with 1:17 left. They led the rest of the way. 'Did you expect anything less from JB? He got that award for a reason,' Towns said. 'We knew when we got in that fourth quarter, we gotta get back in the game and we felt very confident.' Jalen Brunson (11) of the New York Knicks speaks with his teammates on the floor during the first quarter. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post Later, with the Knicks leading by two with 8.0 seconds left, the Pacers fouled Brunson to send him to the line. Missed free throws sunk the Knicks in their Game 1 collapse, but Brunson calmly nailed both to make it a two-possession game and seal the win. 'Honestly, just focus on the moment and clearing my mind,' Brunson said of his late-game execution. 'And not worrying about what happened previously.' Brunson finished with 23 points, just one assist and three turnovers. But Thibodeau has said all year that Brunson 'is at his best when the best is needed.' Sunday was just the latest — but perhaps most important — example.
New York Post
24-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns land All-NBA selections for Knicks
The Knicks won their most regular-season games in 12 years, and they were rewarded for that accomplishment. For the first time since the 2011-12 season, two of their players were selected as All-NBA selections. Jalen Brunson made the second team and Karl-Anthony Towns the third team. For Brunson, it was his second consecutive second-team selection, while Towns has been on the third team three times now. The two have led the Knicks to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000. Advertisement An offseason acquisition from the Timberwolves, Towns has been a strong addition, putting up averages of 24.4 points and a career-high 12.8 rebounds while shooting 42 percent from 3-point range during the regular season. Jalen Brunson (left) and Karl-Anthony Towns both qualified for All NBA teams. Jason Szenes for the New York Post 'Any time you can do something special here in the city in New York, obviously it's magnified by five,' Towns said prior to the start of the series against the Pacers. 'To find success here in New York is something that is not for everyone, and it's something that is very difficult to do.' Advertisement Brunson, the NBA's Clutch Player of the Year, received two first-team votes, 62 second-team votes and 36 third-team votes. The first team was made up of MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder, Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks, Jayson Tatum of the Celtics and Donovan Mitchell of the Cavaliers. Brunson was joined on the second team by Anthony Edwards of the Timberwolves, LeBron James of the Lakers, Stephen Curry of the Warriors and Evan Mobley of the Cavaliers. Towns, who received 40 second-team votes and 52 third-team votes, was on the third team alongside Cade Cunningham of the Pistons, Tyrese Haliburton of the Pacers, Jalen Williams of the Thunder and James Harden of the Clippers. Jalen Brunson talks to reporters before Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post In what has been an up-and-down postseason for Towns, he helped lead the Knicks past the Celtics, coming up big in the clinching Game 6. He started off the Pacers series with a 35-point effort. Advertisement Follow The Post's coverage of the Knicks in the 2025 NBA Playoffs Sports+ subscribers: Sign up for Inside the Knicks to get daily newsletter coverage and join Expert Take for insider texts about the series. It was, meanwhile, another stellar season for Brunson, who has changed so much about these Knicks upon his arrival. They have won at least one round of the playoffs in each of his three seasons, and he has developed into one of the sport's premier guards. Not bad for a second-round pick who most thought was a career backup after a terrific run at Villanova. He's been critical to the Knicks advancing this far and coming from behind in seven of their playoff victories. His clutch 3-pointer eliminated the Pistons in the final seconds of Game 6 and he was the best player on the floor in the upset of the Celtics in the second round. Advertisement 'It's a focus that I need to have in that element,' Brunson said earlier this postseason. 'Can't really worry about what happened previously in the game. It's all about focusing and having a clear mind, just trying to win the game. That's just my mindset. I wouldn't be able to without my teammates.'
