The general consensus seems to be that the NBA's new anti-tanking rules will force teams that have purposely lost games in the past to try their best this season. I am skeptical of the consensus here. Although the math certainly points to this logic, there are many front offices that get a free pass for losing, selling their fanbase and ownership on some future competitive team. This kind of grift dies slowly.
Also, assuming the consensus is correct, I am skeptical that players who have built their careers on losing, i.e., lackadaisical and unserious play, can suddenly flip a switch and take their jobs seriously. Even if they can, will their bodies sustain such rigor over an 82-game season? Time will tell. The body has to be built to grind, and you only build it up via repetition. Even assuming no major injuries, my guess is we'll see plenty of scratch and dent load management decisions.
I am Knicks fan, and unfortunately, I am also a pessimist. What I am about to lay out legitimately does not matter because, LOL we won the title, suck it losers. Anyway, it will be interesting to see if last year's playoff nirvana was a fluke. My suspicion is that the truth of this roster is closer to last regular season in which Mikal Bridges admitted he wasn't trying his hardest, and Karl Anthony Towns openly bristled against his new role and the required work both as the offensive hub and as the defensive anchor.
The fact that the Knicks front office is offering KAT a contract extension far lower than the max, or even his asking price, says they may feel the same. KAT made the sacrifices necessary to win a championship, namely playing the way his coach begged him to play all year. It worked. But old habits die hard, and I'm not sure that sacrifice will be made for the 81 remaining regular season games.
Again, we won a title, so it legitimately does not matter if the entire thing blows up. They can't take it away from us. But just 14 months ago both KAT and Mikal were dangled for Giannis. It goes without saying that we should be glad the trade didn't happen -- but consider me skeptical Leon Rose and company won't include them again if another superstar becomes available.