Knicks Players Under Most Pressure Entering 2024-25 NBA Season
The 2024-25 NBA season could be special for the New York Knicks.
They were already trending up after tallying 97 victories and a pair of playoff series wins over the past two campaigns. Yet, they showed a clear desire for more when they handed over a pile of draft picks to get Mikal Bridges and then spent a mountain of cash to keep OG Anunoby.
The goal is now competing for the Eastern Conference crown, if not the championship at large. That puts pressure on every single player to perform.
The following three players will just feel more pressure than the rest.
Mikal Bridges
There were two ways to react to the Bridges blockbuster. The first was marveling at the completed transformation of the 'Nova Knicks. The other was wondering how on earth a 27-year-old zero-time All-Star was worth five first-round picks and a pick swap.
The latter reaction is reasonable from a sticker-shock perspective. That's a boatload of picks for anyone, let alone someone who'd never cracked the top 20 in All-NBA voting.
The Knicks don't need Bridges to justify that cost on his own. Their wagers went beyond what he brings by himself. They're hoping that tightknit chemistry from rostering four college teammates (Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo) could make their whole head and shoulders above the sum of their parts. They're also betting that a pair of elite defensive wings (Bridges and Anunoby) could be key in dethroning the reigning champion Boston Celtics.
External observers will hold that trade price tag above Bridges' head, though. That type of transaction inherently lends itself to relentless scrutiny. New York effectively signaled that it believes he could be the proverbial missing piece, so if he fails to fill that role, fans and analysts alike will let the second-guesses fly.
Julius Randle
Julius Randle has long ranked among the league's most polarizing players.
If last season impacted that standing at all, it only served to strengthen it. A shoulder injury limited him to the fewest appearances of his New York tenure (46), meaning he'd never been less involved while the Knicks were as successful as they've been years.
His reputation could've used the boost of the team's success. While he typically posts big numbers (he was averaging 24 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists when he went down), his impact on winning has always been up for debate. He has only played a pair of postseasons, and his teams have, on average, fared 2.5 points worse per 100 possessions with him than without, per Basketball-Reference.
It's also worth noting his contract has only one guaranteed season left (he has a player option for 2025-26), meaning he could have tens of millions of dollars on the line. Meanwhile, analysts have wondered aloud whether the Knicks might look to trade the three-time All-Star.
This could be a make-or-break season for Randle, at least as far as his relationship with the 'Bockers is concerned.
Mitchell Robinson
Ankle injuries wrecked Mitchell Robinson's 2024-25 season. He went down in early December and didn't come back until March, and then he was lost for good by early May. Each absence saw him go under the knife.
When he first went down, the Knicks were 12-9 and tied for seventh in the East standings. By the time he made it back on March 27, they had improved their record to 43-28 and climbed third in the conference. They'd also found a new starting center in Isaiah Hartenstein, who played well enough in Robinson's absence to earn a three-year, $87 million commitment from the Oklahoma City Thunder this summer.
Robinson, whose length and bounce surfaces in his above-the-rim finishing and paint protection, wasn't New York's most impactful center last season. The Knicks actually fared 4.6 points per 100 possessions with him than without, per NBA.com. Meanwhile, Hartenstein's presence made them 10.2 points better per 100 possessions.
New York needs Robinson to be a difference-maker. Hartenstein is gone, and Precious Achiuwa, Robinson's new backup, is more of a combo big who lacks the size to hang with bigger centers (6'8", 225 lbs). The Knicks need Robinson to stay on the floor and, frankly, make a bigger impact when he's out there. If he can't do that, New York could be in the market for a new big man.