Fans of the New York Knicks had a trickle of hope when the NBA season began that perhaps their team could finagle its way back to the playoffs.
With a 17-13 record and a sixth-place standing in the Eastern Conference, those playoff hopes are very much alive right now.
The Knicks have three definite studs in point guard Jalen Brunson, wing RJ Barrett and power forward Julius Randle, but they have some glaring needs that must be addressed before they can start booking some postseason games at Madison Square Garden.
These two players could put New York over the top and even help it make some noise in the playoffs.
Bojan Bogdanovic
Bogdanovic is having a career season for the pitiful Detroit Pistons, and Detroit is rumored to be looking to move him, perhaps to increase its chances of winning the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes.
The Knicks are just 26th in 3-point shooting percentage, and Bogdanovic’s 42.3 percent accuracy from downtown on 6.1 attempts per game this season would greatly improve that weakness.
He is also averaging 21.3 points per game, which would make the Knicks much more potent overall on the offensive end.
DeMar DeRozan
This is a pie-in-the-sky scenario, but DeRozan’s Chicago Bulls are just 11-18 and in 11th place in the East, and there are rumors they may decide to blow it up.
He is putting up 25.9 points on 50.4 percent shooting and 4.7 assists per game this year, and he could give New York another playmaker besides Brunson, not to mention a hell of an option in crunch time.
DeMar DeRozan is clutch!
26 points | 6 assists | 4 rebounds pic.twitter.com/fcTaWJZyi2
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 26, 2021
If DeRozan would find a way to mesh with Randle offensively, he could perhaps help the Knicks scare some elite team in the Eastern Conference this spring.
NEXT: How Long Will The Knicks' Winning Streak Last?