Since 1973, the New York Knicks have been without a championship victory, while the Minnesota Timberwolves have yet to claim a title.
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Since the calendar flipped to 1973, the New York Knicks have been without a championship victory, while the Minnesota Timberwolves, throughout their 35-season history, have yet to claim a title. As the first two teams step onto the court on Monday in New York to kick off 2024, both carry the anticipation that this could be the year they break the championship drought.
The revamped Knicks wrapped up a disappointing three-game road journey on Saturday, ending with a 140-126 defeat against the Indiana Pacers. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves capped off a prosperous December by securing a 108-106 triumph over the Los Angeles Lakers at home on the same day.
The Knicks experienced a setback shortly after finalizing a major trade, netting OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, and Malachi Flynn from the Toronto Raptors. In return, they sent starting guard RJ Barrett and reserve guard Immanuel Quickley to Toronto.
For the Knicks, Robinson will not be playing the game due to an ankle injury. Besides, Grimes is also questionable to play the game due to illness. As for the Timberwolves, Clark will not play the game due to Achillies tendon injury.
During the last five seasons, Barrett consistently contributed with an average of 18.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, starting all but one of his 297 appearances for the Knicks. Quickley solidified his position as one of the premier sixth men in the league, reaching double figures in scoring off the bench on 137 occasions in his three-plus seasons.
Anunoby is poised to step into Barrett’s starting role, contributing to bolster the Knicks’ interior offense and defense. The seasoned player, now in his seventh year, boasts a career-best 60.8 percent accuracy on 2-point field goals and maintains an average of one steal per game. This comes after leading the NBA with 1.9 steals per game in the previous year.
The Timberwolves, currently tracking towards a historic franchise-best of 63 victories, might find themselves open to undertaking comparable bold moves in the coming weeks. Despite reaching the Western Conference finals in the spring of 2004, Minnesota has only made it past the first round once and has secured a playoff spot on just three occasions since then.
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