Like most NBA observers, ESPN analysts Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson believe the Knicks will be much improved this season and have a good chance of making the playoffs – with one important caveat, of course.
“I think injury has a lot to do with it,” Van Gundy, a former Knicks coach, said Monday on a conference call to preview the 2016-17 season. “They put big money into players who have had significant injuries in [Joakim] Noah and [Derrick] Rose. So I think how they bounce back and play and how many games they play is going to be significant.