After a few playoff runs at the beginning of the Carmelo Anthony era, the New York Knicks bottomed out in 2014-15. The proud franchise won just 17 games, and many fans could hardly bear to watch.
Things have changed in a big way since. The Knicks took Kristaps Porzingis 4th overall in the 2015 draft, and he's been great. Then, this offseason they acquired Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Brandon Jennings, and Courtney Lee. It's safe to say that Melo has been reinvigorated by the roster changes.
Many pundits believe the Knicks will at least get back to the playoffs, and possibly win a series or two once there. NBA 2K17 isn't so optimistic.
Ryan Punzalan, who writes for The Knicks Wall, ran a simulation on the hottest new basketball game of the entire 2016-17 NBA season, focused on the Knicks. He notes that no games were actually played (just simulated), and that all roster changes due to injuries were made by the video game versions of head coach Jeff Hornacek and team president Phil Jackson.
Early on, Jennings impressed with a 4-game stretch where he scored 27 points three times and 37 once. However, Rose, not surprisingly, went down for a few weeks with tendinitis in his knee.
The Knicks hovered just above .500 for most of the season, but they eventually finish 41-41, good for 10th place in the Eastern Conference. Lingering injuries to the rest of their core played a big role.
Sorry Knicks fans, 2K doesn't think the team has what it takes to get back to the postseason.
Of course, this could just be a special circumstance based on 2K Sports' algorithm. If you simulated the Knicks' 2016-17 season over 100 times, they'd likely make the playoffs in more than half of those. There are so many variables involved; a few changes here and there would make all the difference.
Also, the standings show the Philadelphia 76ers finishing with the third seed and the Chicago Bulls topping the Warriors in the Finals. So, take it with a grain of salt; a very large grain perhaps.
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