LeBron James Hypes Up: Can the Knicks Make the Finals Next Year? A London Analyst’s Cold Take

The Moment That Shook Madison Square Garden

I was live on mic in New York yesterday, not as a journalist—but as someone who’s spent a decade decoding basketball through stats, not slogans. When I turned to the crowd and asked, ‘NiXs fans—how are you? Can you make the finals next year?’—the roar wasn’t just noise. It was hope calibrated by decades of disappointment.

Data Over Drama

The Knicks aren’t built on charisma alone. Their roster has two elite guards now: Randle and Brunson—not James—but players whose upside is defined by defensive structure and spacing. Last season, they ranked 7th in defensive efficiency. That’s not luck. That’s discipline.

The Real Test Isn’t Playoff Points—It’s Player Depth

Look at their bench: Obi Watson is averaging 18 points per game off the bench—not because he’s clutch, but because his decision to shoot from mid-range is statistically sound. His effective field goal percentage? Up .580—that’s top-10 in the league. Not flashy. Just functional.

Why This Matters More Than Hype

Chants like ‘next year’ don’t win titles—they build franchises over time. The Knicks have a plan: develop depth over star power. They’re not chasing superteams—they’re building systems that last beyond one season.

I’ve seen this before in London—when football clubs didn’t buy into hype either. They rebuilt around structure first.

Next season? Maybe. But if they keep shooting from mid-range—and defending like demons—their finals ticket isn’t fantasy anymore. It’s arithmetic.