Safe to say that gone are the days when fans and critics laughed at the New York Knicks for their misfortunes. Julius Randle is a bona fide All-Star and he has the proper supporting cast around him. The Knicks will be carrying a ton of momentum from last season's relatively good campaign. Coupled with three more reasons, the Knicks are bound to be a better team in the 2021-22 NBA season.

Improved Offense Outside Of Just Julius Randle

Last season, the Knicks ranked 22nd in offense with a 110.2 offensive rating. It's a surprising stat given that they were making waves all season long. They say defense wins championships. The Knicks certainly had that in the bag (ranked fourth) but they failed to support it with a decent-enough offense. This might have been the cause of their downfall early in the playoffs.

Fortunately, the Knicks front office quickly addressed this weakness in the offseason. They got Evan Fournier, the French man who can drop 15-20 points a night. He's a career 45.0 percent shooter from the field and 37.9 percent from deep. Last season was his best performance from 3-point country as he shot a career-high 46.3 percent. Fournier's presence will simply expand and improve the Knicks' offensive toolbox.

The front office sweetened things up by adding All-Star Kemba Walker as well. There are some lingering concerns about whether or not Walker is still a star in this league. Whatever the case may be, there's no question that he's a bucket. You can criticize all aspects of his game. But when it comes to swishing the net, Walker can drop an easy 20-25 points per game on your head.

Fortified the point guard spot

The Knicks loved Derrick Rose so much that they brought him back under a three-year, $43 million contract. Obviously, Tom Thibodeau had a lot to do with this due to his affiliation with the guard in the past. Rose has been doing great for the past few seasons. The risk of him being injured again is always at the back of NBA fans. However, we have to give Rose and those around him the benefit of the doubt that he's well and healthy. With a healthy rose on your roster, you receive an automatic lift on offense. Rose is athletic enough to go toe-to-toe with guards and also has the playmaking skills inherent in him.

There's a good chance Rose will play second fiddle to Kemba Walker. But let's not dismiss the possibility that it's actually Walker who gets relegated to the bench. Whatever the case may be, Tom Thibodeau has an enviable problem of balancing the two guards' playing time. While they cannot be considered elite guards, Rose and Walker are still better than most guards in the league. This is a treat to have as a team. And the Knicks surely are better with the two All-Stars than they are without. Couple those guys with Julius Randle and company, and it can be something special.

Tom Thibodeau (Proof Is In Julius Randle)

Thibodeau has been regarded as one of the best coaches in the league for a pretty good reason. There have been lots of stories about his immense attention to detail. Yes, he is coaching professionals who have mastered the fundamentals of the sport. But his former players have shared how Thibodeau tries to fix every single facet of their game, even the most basic pass (look at how much Julius Randle developed under him). Despite his relative success in Minnesota (leading the franchise to its first playoff appearance in 13 seasons), it's widely considered a rough patch in his career. However, this hasn't taken away his stature among fans, critics, and his own colleagues.

His stint with the Knicks may be the time we'll finally see Thibs in full power once again. The 2020-21 NBA season definitely gave him a lot of things to think about. As we speak, he's probably tinkering his playbook, ironing out every little detail possible. Thibodeau is probably the most important person the Knicks have right now.