To the 2022-2023 NBA Champions...
Apr 2, 2023 22:37:44 GMT -5
Tampa Bay Bull Sharks, Kots (Colorado GM), and 6 more like this
Post by Miege22 on Apr 2, 2023 22:37:44 GMT -5
Congratulations to the New York Knicks! After coming up short for four consecutive years, the Knicks finally broke through this year, not only making the Finals, but winning the whole thing. We could start with their trade of Donovan Mitchell last summer, or the year before when they elected to move out of Boston... but the real story starts six years ago when teefbe took over one of the worst franchises in league history. In the first 8 years of the league, Boston only finished above .500 once, making one playoffs and losing in the first round. He took over a franchise coming off a 1-15 season lacking assets, and what really kicked things off was a vetoed trade.
Early in their first season, the Knicks attempted to trade Clint Capela for Jabari Parker, Norm Powell, and a future first. The trade was quickly vetoed, and they were left to figure out a new path. After finishing the season 6-10, an impressive five win improvement, they made their move. Clint Capela was instead flipped to Memphis in exchange for Joel Embiid. Suddenly, the Knicks (then Celtics) had a true superstar, and things took off. The Knicks won the division in 2019, their first division title in franchise history. Unfortunately, they fell in the first round to Tampa Bay, which would be the story of this franchise's postseasons.
The Knicks got to the playoffs again in 2020, and, again, they lost to the Bull Sharks in round 1. The same thing happened again in 2021. Last year, in their first year in New York, they finished first in the East for the first time ever. They also, finally, broke through to the conference finals... where they again faced the Tampa Bay Bull Sharks. Sadly for the Knicks, the new location didn't change the outcome, and Tampa Bay sent them home for the fourth consecutive year. That's when the Knicks made their last move to a title.
New York did something borderline unthinkable. They broke up a superstar into three players and a pick. While Donovan Mitchell put up absurd numbers in Kansas City, the Knicks were able to ride their newfound depth to the best record in the East for the second straight year. McCollum, Harrison Barnes, and Christian Wood more than made up for what they lost in Mitchell, and they used the additional cap space to put the finishing touches on their roster in free agency. After a bit of a bumpy start, New York went 10-2-1 in their last thirteen games. They squeaked past the upset-minded Heat in the first round by just two assists, took out a banged up Raptors team in the Eastern Conference Finals, then outlasted the star-studded Portland Trailblazers in the Finals. When it was all said and done, the Knicks had their first title ever, and the league saw a first-time champion for the third straight year.
Congratulations to the Knicks, and now a look back at an incredible postseason...
Early in their first season, the Knicks attempted to trade Clint Capela for Jabari Parker, Norm Powell, and a future first. The trade was quickly vetoed, and they were left to figure out a new path. After finishing the season 6-10, an impressive five win improvement, they made their move. Clint Capela was instead flipped to Memphis in exchange for Joel Embiid. Suddenly, the Knicks (then Celtics) had a true superstar, and things took off. The Knicks won the division in 2019, their first division title in franchise history. Unfortunately, they fell in the first round to Tampa Bay, which would be the story of this franchise's postseasons.
The Knicks got to the playoffs again in 2020, and, again, they lost to the Bull Sharks in round 1. The same thing happened again in 2021. Last year, in their first year in New York, they finished first in the East for the first time ever. They also, finally, broke through to the conference finals... where they again faced the Tampa Bay Bull Sharks. Sadly for the Knicks, the new location didn't change the outcome, and Tampa Bay sent them home for the fourth consecutive year. That's when the Knicks made their last move to a title.
New York did something borderline unthinkable. They broke up a superstar into three players and a pick. While Donovan Mitchell put up absurd numbers in Kansas City, the Knicks were able to ride their newfound depth to the best record in the East for the second straight year. McCollum, Harrison Barnes, and Christian Wood more than made up for what they lost in Mitchell, and they used the additional cap space to put the finishing touches on their roster in free agency. After a bit of a bumpy start, New York went 10-2-1 in their last thirteen games. They squeaked past the upset-minded Heat in the first round by just two assists, took out a banged up Raptors team in the Eastern Conference Finals, then outlasted the star-studded Portland Trailblazers in the Finals. When it was all said and done, the Knicks had their first title ever, and the league saw a first-time champion for the third straight year.
Congratulations to the Knicks, and now a look back at an incredible postseason...