For the second year in a row, the NY Knicks are in the Conference Semifinal round of the NBA playoffs. After winning an entertaining and, at times, nail-biting series against the Philadelphia 76ers in six games, this team is likened to the last Knicks’ championship team from nearly half a century ago. Is that comparison warranted?
The NY Knicks’ Road to the Playoffs was Eerily Similar
The 1972-1973 NY Knicks were the second seed in the Eastern Conference behind the Boston Celtics after posting a record of 57-25. That season, the Celtics had the league-best record, 68-14.
Similarly, in the 2023-2024 season, the Celtics again boasted the best record in the NBA with a shockingly similar win-loss ratio to the ‘72-73 season of 64-18. That team also took the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks were again the second seed with a record of 50-32.
But the Rosters Aren’t Comparable
The ’73 Knicks team was chock full of future Hall-of-Famers. Eight players from that roster were eventually inducted—Jerry Lucas, Willis Reed, Bill Bradley, Dave DeBusschere, Walt Frazier, Earl Monro, Phil Jackson, and Dick Barnett. Head coach Red Holzmann is also a celebrated member of the Springfield, Massachusetts institution.
The ’24 Knicks are built with only one superstar, point guard Jalen Brunson. While the rest of the roster consists of skilled players, no others reach superstar status. However, during the regular season, and now into the playoffs, Brunson, with the team on his back, has relied on his connection with former Villanova teammates Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart, and a few other key players, like OG Anunoby, Isaiah Hartenstein and Mitchell Robinson.
Will the Road Lead to a NY Knicks’ Championship?
The 1973 playoff run featured a five-game series win against the Baltimore Bullets in the Division Semifinals, then a seventh-game series clincher against the Boston Celtics in the Division Finals.
Then, the NY Knicks faced the LA Lakers in the Championship Series. After losing game 1, the Knicks won four straight to take home the Walter A. Brown Championship Trophy. (The current trophy is named the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.)
The series win against the 76ers showed the resilience the Knicks displayed in the regular season. Part of the reason is that Coach Tom Thibodeau is a throwback coach of a different era—perhaps even a 1970s era. He expects his players to (wait for it….) actually play in every game and does not subscribe to the “rest day” mentality that is so common in today’s NBA.
That philosophy may be the Knicks’ secret weapon as the team moves through the next round because the Knicks face a daunting challenge. The team lacks a true number two scorer and superstar, and its roster is also plagued by injury.
In the first round of the playoffs, Brunson, Hart, and Anunoby each played over 40 min per game. That isn’t easy to sustain, especially if the semifinal series against the Indiana Pacers goes seven games. But since they’ve played all season, they may be the only team conditioned to persevere!
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Kris Zucchi has been an N.Y. sports fan since she was a kid. She’ll tell you she loves three things in this world: family, football, and finance. While the business of sports is her primary focus, she can talk about every sport all the time!
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