Burdened with being the highest Knicks draft pick since Patrick Ewing, RJ Barrett made big strides as a shooter and a defender in his second year in the league after an up-and-down rookie year. Does his third year hold a star turn, or a continued gradual rise?

A defensive menace in college and Summer League, Miles “Deuce” McBride has “Thibs” written all over him. Can he crack the rotation in his rookie year with his extremely useful skillset?

While the Knicks had plenty of shooting at the 2 guard spot last year, they sorely lacked dribbling and creation. Enter: Evan Fournier, a three-level scorer and an immense upgrade on the offensive end. Could he give the Knicks’ offense a new dimension this season?

After a Coach of the Year campaign in 2020-21, Tom Thibodeau is back for his second season as Knicks head coach after effectively restoring the team’s culture and guiding them to a No. 4 seed in the East a year ago. With an improved roster, higher expectations, and injury-prone players to manage, can Thibs rise to the occasion and take the team even higher?

Obi Toppin came in expected to make an instant impact thanks to his advanced age, but hit the brick wall that is the NBA in his rookie season and took a slow, steady climb throughout to end the season strong. Can he continue the climb as a sophomore?

The streak lives on, with the New York Knicks moving to 3-0 this preseason after a comeback victory over the Cade Cunningham-less Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.

The Knicks were in a downward spiral before the hiring of Leon Rose in February of 2020. Now, a year and a half later, Rose has the team turned in a completely different direction, turning New York into a legitimate on-the-rise team with an upper-echelon culture.

After a third season plagued by injury, Mitchell Robinson is staring down a key fourth season, potentially fighting for his future as a New York Knick. Can Mitch recapture the glory of his standout rookie and sophomore seasons?

Signed as a backup and thrust by necessity into the role of starter, Nerlens Noel was a key component in the Knicks’ sudden rise to the No. 4 seed in the East last year. What will Noel do this season to build on last year’s campaign and justify his shiny new contract?

A free agent surprise that almost nobody saw coming, Kemba Walker represents perhaps the best point guard the Knicks have rostered since Walt “Clyde” Frazier. But he doesn’t come without concerns, namely, the injuries that forced Boston to pay to ship him off. Do the shortcomings even matter at his current price point, though?

Finding playing time might be hard this season for the first player the Knicks selected in the 2021 NBA Draft: Quentin Grimes. That said, could Grimes’ penchant for tough D and shooting cause him to stop “situational” from being a swear word among Knicks fans?

Previously a journeyman, Alec Burks perhaps found his home for the future last season when he signed a one-year deal with the Knicks, later re-upping on a two-year pact this summer. Could Burks come close to replicating his nearly historic pull-up shooting numbers from last season?

The new era of Knicks basketball is finally underway, with Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier taking the floor for the first time together as Knicks. Did they live up to the hype? Short answer: yes. Long answer: well, here’s the recap to tell you all about it.

The Knicks take on the Pacers in the first action of the 2021-22 season. Kemba suits up! So does Fournier! Mitch and Noel are hurt, womp womp. But excitement abounds!

Derrick Rose was the midseason ​​mercenary of the 2020-21 Knicks, proving to be their X-factor down the stretch of the regular season. With major investment into the point guard position this summer, how will his role change this season?

An offseason full of competence has led us to this moment — the start of preseason, and the reckoning that comes with realizing that extremely Thibs-y rookie Deuce McBride might not get minutes this year, despite a stellar Summer League. The best part? That’s totally OK.

In the final year of his rookie contract, Kevin Knox will likely struggle to find playing time this season for the Knicks. Could this be his last year in orange and blue?

A bastion of aging gracefully and culture in the NBA, The Knicks’ veteran center Taj Gibson returns for his third season with the team this year. Is there any surer thing than Taj’s impact on and off the court this year?

What does defensive play type data tell us? Does it measure defense effectively in the NBA? Drew looks to answer these questions and maybe find a better way of doing things.

The most painful loss of the 2020-21 season seems to have laid the blueprint for the Knicks going forward. Could the Knicks be taking on the Hawks’ strategy for team building… but better?