They were 19th in the league in effective field-goal percentage, but their dominance of the offensive boards (they finished second in offensive rebounding percentage) more than made up for that. And the players largely responsible for that are back.

Among the 367 with at least 500 minutes in 2022-23, Mitchell Robinson, Isaiah Hartenstein, Jericho Sims, Josh Hart and Julius Randle ranked third, 11th, 13th, 92nd and 104th, respectively, in offensive rebounds per 75 possessions.

Add their bruising interior play to the returns of Jalen Brunson and Quentin Grimes, as well as the arrival of Donte DiVincenzo, and it's easy to see the Knicks clearing this over and improving on last season's 47 wins.

Getting much more than that likely depends on RJ Barrett, who's been one of the league's least efficient scorers over the course of his four seasons. If Barrett can take a leap forward with his shotmaking, New York could be in the hunt for 50 wins.