New York Knicks: A Look at Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges' Impact

The New York Knicks have undergone a significant transformation this season with the addition of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges. This article examines how these players have affected the team's performance, their fantasy basketball value, and the team's future prospects.

Offensive Firepower

The Knicks' offense has been a major strength this season, ranking second in the NBA in Offensive Rating. Towns and Brunson have formed a potent one-two punch, with Towns leading the league in rebounding and Brunson excelling in creating offense for himself and his teammates. The addition of Bridges has also provided a boost, as he is one of the best shooting wings in the league.

Defense a Concern

While the Knicks' offense has been impressive, their defense has been a disappointment. The team's defensive rating is 17th in the NBA, which is a significant drop from last season. Anunoby, Bridges, and Hart have all struggled as cover defenders, and the lack of rim protection has made it easier for opposing teams to score in the paint. The potential return of Mitchell Robinson could provide a boost to the team's defense, but it remains to be seen if he can return to his previous form after missing the entire season with an ankle injury.

Fantasy Basketball Outlook

All five Knicks starters currently rank in the top-85 in the league in fantasy points per game, and in the top-45 in the league in the ESPN Player Rater. Towns leads them in both formats, making him the fantasy hoops King of New York. Brunson is second in fantasy points per game, while Hart is a surprising third, thanks to his strong rebounding, field goal percentage, assists, and steals. Hart is probably the best pound-for-pound fantasy hoops value on the Knicks and the one you should most consider targeting in trade talks.

Futures Angles and Bets to Make

ESPN BET has the Knicks' regular season wins set at 53.5. They are off the board to make the playoffs, +850 to win the Atlantic division, +550 to win the East and +1200 to win the Championship. Here are two bets that stand out:

Over 53.5 wins

Assuming they continue to stay relatively healthy, the Knicks are a solid bet to go over 53.5 wins (even). They started the season slowly, winning only two of their first seven games, but since then have gone 24-10, a 70.6% win rate that would project to an additional 29 wins over their last 41 games...or 55 wins overall. Keep in mind, though, that health is a legitimate question mark given coach Tom Thibodeaux's penchant for playing his starters big minutes. All five Knicks starters have played at least 38 of their 41 games, and all five are averaging at least 34.7 MPG. There is some possibility the lineup could wear down, the way they did during the playoffs last season.

Knicks to win the East (+550)

This would likely require their defense to improve significantly with Robinson's return, but if that happened they would have a legit chance against both the East-leading Cavaliers and the defending champion Celtics in a seven-game series. The Knicks beat up the Cavaliers in the playoffs two seasons ago and have an offense that could go toe-to-toe even against the mighty Celtics.

Conclusion

The addition of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges has had a significant impact on the New York Knicks this season. The team's offense is one of the best in the NBA, but their defense has been a disappointment. If the Knicks can improve their defense with the return of Mitchell Robinson, they have a legitimate chance of winning the East and making a deep playoff run.