What can the Knicks do to improve after a disappointing finish to the 2022-23 season?

Miami – Where to go from here?

How do you get better? Do you rely on internal improvement? Are you chasing big fish in the mall?

These are the questions Nix Face after the most promising season of the past two decades It ended Friday in Miami.

The Knicks go into the 2023 season without a lot of money to spend on free agents. They will have a $12 million non-taxpayer exception and a $4.5 million semi-annual exception at their disposal, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

This is enough to improve the list, but not in a significant way.

New York has enough evidence to bet on the internal improvement of its young players. Emmanuel Quickly Take a big step forward in the regular season. RJ Barrett He struggled in Game 6but had a very strong postseason overall. Quentin Grimes He was part of the Knicks starting lineup that finished the regular season 37-22. Mitchell Robinson Played at a high level New YorkFirst round series she won Cleveland. He has helped the Knicks win several regular season games.

So the Knicks can justify a quiet season by pointing to the improvements these young players have made in 2022-23.

Or they could make noise this summer. For weeks, people across the league had been expecting fireworks at the Mall. The Knicks have the capital to acquire a star via trade. They have 11 first-round picks over the next seven drafts. They have young players that other teams covet.

So they will have the opportunity to follow the star this summer.

The last time the Knicks made the playoffs and entered the season with high expectations, things didn’t go so well. New York struggled in 2021-22, winning just 37 games.

They’ve bounced back this season, thanks in part to Galen Bronson the signature. Bronson gives the Knicks a consistent presence on base and the opportunity to build elite guards.

This in itself is an important achievement, but it is not sufficient. If you watched the Heat series, you know the Knicks need more on Brunson.

For the Knicks, there are two paths to getting there. Trade market or internal improvement. Which direction will Leon Rose And his group go? We’ll find out over the next couple of months.