Six things to keep an eye on during the preseason (2024)

With the Knicks’ preseason schedule pretty much set, it’s time to take a look at a few things to keep an eye on during the exhibition tune-up games that’ll take place during the first two and a half weeks of October.

How will Julius Randle look?

Between how much the All-NBA forward struggled out the gates last season, and the shoulder surgery he is coming off of, fans will likely pay close attention to how good, or bad, Randle looks during preseason. A player can look great during preseason and struggle during the season, or vice versa, and these games ultimately won’t matter too much. But fans would surely feel a lot more confident and comfortable starting the season if they could get some confirmation that the at-times erratic Randle was good to go and back to form.

The new defensive wing tandem

Jalen Brunson’s signing of a team-friendly extension made headlines this summer, and rightfully so. But the trade for Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby re-signing were just as, if not more, impactful. And come October, we’ll finally get to see the new wing duo in action. It should be fun seeing how Tom Thibodeau utilizes the two incredible defenders and it’ll be a nice opportunity to see if Bridges’ defensive decline last season was an anomaly or not.

Mikal Bridges’ offensive game

Bridges unfairly gets labeled as just a catch-and-shoot guy by way too many casual fans. Throughout his six-season NBA career, Bridges has developed into a much more versatile and capable offensive player than some give him credit for being. He’s obviously a great shooter of the catch, but if you contest too aggressively or recklessly, he’s very adept at attacking closeouts in a myriad of ways.

He’s become deadly from midrange where he is very difficult to block or contest thanks to his long wingspan, height, and high release. And he can finish at the rim with either hand and through contact. It may not be fully perfect or look like a finished product. But getting to see a Knicks offense where he can space the floor, attack closeouts playing off of Brunson and Randle, and become a tertiary ball-handler could be very fun and encouraging.

The potential improvements of the returning bench players

There are three returning players that I’m optimistically expecting, or at least hoping, to see improvements from. Deuce McBride, who took very noticeable leaps as a shooter and player last season, could take yet another jump after getting a more significant role last season. Add another summer of developing and even more experience and it’s not outlandish to expect McBride to be even better this season.

Then there’s Precious Achiuwa, who despite being an imperfect player with clear limitations, was incredibly productive when filling in last season. His stats may not change too much but he should only benefit from having a full training camp with the roster, and more importantly, Thibodeau, the center whisperer. And last but not least, is Jericho Sims. Fans have, for the most part, been very vocal about their lack of confidence in Sims as a full-time backup center. But as far as third-string big men go, he’s likely one of the better ones in the league. Despite feeling like he’s been in the league for a while, Sims is just 24 years old. And while I wouldn’t put money on it, it’s also not inconceivable that he comes into camp and the pre-season looking better than he has thus far.

The new bench

The Knicks roster saw an incredible amount of turnover last season due to trades and injuries and it impacted the bench heavily. The second unit started the season with Immanuel Quickley, who was the reigning Sixth Man of the Year finalist, Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo, and Isaiah Hartenstein. That’s a very very good bench with four guys capable of starting on good teams. But all four players ended up either on a different team or starting. That led to the second unit, one that consisted of Bojan Bogdanovic, and the aforementioned McBride and Achiuwa as the mainstays, to struggle in finding consistency.

This season, the bench should once again be stabilized. While questions surrounding the backup center minutes linger, having a second unit of McBride, DiVincenzo, Hart, and Achiuwa should lead to much better minutes. It’s hard to predict how many minutes they’ll get but seeing the new look second unit in action should be a welcomed sight.

How will the rookies look?

Much like Summer League, the preseason is still far from the real deal. But it is a step closer. With the starters and major rotation players likely getting fewer minutes towards the beginning portions of preseason, it could serve as an opportunity for us fans to continue to get better looks at the likes of Tyler Kolek, Pacome Dadiet, Ariel Hukporti, and Kevin McCullar Jr., who couldn’t play during Summer League. We may not get full answers for any of the players and what their ultimate roles will be, but it should give us some partial answers, an idea of where the rookies are after a few months of working out, and what their minute distribution will be.