NBA 2019-20: 3 reasons why New York Knicks can make the playoffs next season
After the NBA draft left the city of New York in deep despair due to missing out on Zion, they had to find solace in a prospect that was not too far behind in terms of talent and athleticism. With a roster led by Duke enigma RJ Barrett, quality basketball at the Madison Square Garden just might be around the corner.
This past season, David Fizdale and Co. could only afford 17 wins in 82 games, ending up with the worst record in the Eastern Conference. Nevertheless, despite missing out on Irving and Durant -- who flocked to Brooklyn -- many have projected respectable competition from this team in the upcoming 2019-20 campaign.
Let's make sense as to why the new-look Knicks squad could be playing more than 82 games next year.
#3 New York have some much-needed depth on their roster after a long time
The front office had one major goal to accomplish during the off-season and that was to bolster the team's three-point shooting. By signing Ellington, career 38 percent 3-point shooter, and Bullock, a good defender who has shot 39.2 percent in his career from 3, they made sure that Fizdale's club will surely improve from a miserable 33.9 percent show from deep (third-worst in the league) during the 2018-19 campaign.
“The Knicks did an excellent job of becoming a little better than mediocre,’’ one NBA scout told The Post. “They’ll be more competitive. They added some nice players, but of course you need stars.”
Coming into free agency, NY did not house a single power forward under contract nor a backup center. They ticked that box by shaking hands with Bobby Portis, Taj Gibson, and more importantly, Julius Randle. The latter's progressively increasing numbers culminated in averages of 21.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game this past season with the Pelicans.