New York Knicks Endure Painful End to Brilliant Season

It was fun while it lasted.

The New York Knicks season is over following a 130-109 smackdown at the hands of the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semi-finals. Tip your cap to the Pacers, they were the better team throughout the series, winning four of the final five games between these two old rivals.

Certainly, the Pacers deserve the credit. They shot the lights out of Madison Square Garden, hitting a record-setting 67 percent from the floor, the best ever in Eastern Conference playoff history.

But at the end of the day, the injuries just proved to be too much. It didn't help matters that the Knicks were at a serious size disadvantage entering the series with Mitchell Robinson, Bojan Bogdanvic, and Julius Randle all on the I.L. for the rest of the year.

As the series wore on through six grueling games, OG Anunoby injured his hamstring in Game 2; Josh Hart injured his abdominal area in Game 6; and Jalen Brunson maintained numerous dings throughout the series, culminating in a fractured hand in the third quarter of Game 7.

It was much too much to ask for from a team that gave this city so much to remember.

The Future ...

The future looks bright for the Knicks. The Villanova Three or Nova Knicks as many have called them, consisting of Brunson, Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo is the core of this team. The Knicks can build around them, but definite questions are heading into a busy off-season.

COACH THIBS FUTURE

The consensus from the players is they love playing for Coach Tom Thibodeau, and want him back.

Still many fans and media have pinned the Knicks plethora of playoff injuries on Thibodeau's usage of playing time. Here's the question I have for the naysayers: who else was he supposed to play? The Knicks made deals at the deadline to bring in Anunoby, Alec Burks, and Bogdanovic when Randell went down. Nobody expected those players to also get hurt.

Injuries happen. Yes, the Knicks play a physical brand of basketball, but if the players felt overworked, we would have heard rumblings.

The New York Knicks are expected to entertain a contract extension for Thibodeau.

Free Agency

The New York Knicks have a number of key players to make calls on. Isiah Hartenstein, who did so well coming off the bench and turning into a regular is a free agent. O.G. Anunoby has a player option this year. Jalen Brunson has a player option in 2025.

The Knicks also have a tough decision to make on Julius Randle who will make $57 million in the next two years. Do they trade him? Can the Knicks find another big man to strengthen themselves on the defensive side?

It should be an interesting summer for the New York Knicks.

MORE NEW YORK KNICKS

The NBA playoffs are in full swing, and it's been one of the most exciting playoffs in recent years. Many of the top NBA superstars today are in the playoffs, while others are watching, following some upset losses. Either way, there's no denying that the NBA has a ton of talent right now. So many of the games have come down to the wire, which makes for some pretty incredible, and stressful, endings. So, who are the top NBA superstars of the minute?

Before we get into the top NBA superstars today, let's do some NBA history and look at the top players of all time. There's a reason they call LeBron James the GOAT. He's the best ever, according to the raw statistics and numbers via NBA.com. James knows how to really handle the pressure and fame.

In a recent interview with the New York Times, James went into detail about his fame and how it has impacted his life, both personal and professional. "I don't want to say it ever becomes too much, but there are times when I wish I could do normal things," he said. "I wish I could go to Target sometimes and walk into Starbucks and have my name on the cup just like regular people." He obviously can't do that without everyone rushing to meet the greatest basketball player of all time. NBA experts know that when you have a superstar as big as James, he never plays an away game. No matter what city he's in, people will go to that game just to see him. I have yet to see the GOAT in action, so I hope he returns next year, so I can catch him live.

No. 2 on the list of the greatest NBA players of all time, according to the NBA's stats, is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He played until he was 42 in an era where that was even more rare than it is today. So, how did he avoid burning out? Speaking with the Harvard Business Review, Abdul-Jabbar said, "I just thought that I had the greatest job in the world, and I wanted to keep it as long as I could. I knew it wouldn't last forever." He also noted that in one of his books, he quoted Jackie Robinson saying, "Athletes die twice," because when you're no longer playing professional sports, it's a kind of a death. That's deep.

Now, let's get into the top NBA superstars today.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's stats currently have him at No. 4 in the NBA, according to NBA.com's Player Impact Estimate. He's a great driver and fantastic defender. That's a dangerous combination. He's one of the hottest players of the season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks is sitting at a Player Impact Estimate of No. 3 in the league via NBA.com. Sadly, before the playoffs began, Antetokounmpo suffered a calf injury, so he was unable to participate. Now, the Bucks are out.

Some might say that putting LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers this far up on the list is a bit surprising. Overall, as I mentioned above, he's the all-time greatest player in the NBA. However, he's currently No. 5 in the NBA right now, according to NBA.com's Player Impact Estimate. He's the GOAT, so I have to put him at No. 3.

Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks is an absolute beast on the court. That doesn't always mean his always team wins, but he's always out there, giving it his all. Doncic is ranked the No. 2 NBA player right now, via the NBA.com's Player Impact Estimate.

Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, "the Joker," is one of the greatest centers of all time. He's ranked No. 1 in the NBA, according to NBA.com's Player Impact Estimate. He has gotten some raised eyebrows lately, due to some weak Nuggets games in the playoffs. But, there's no denying this MVP is the best right now.