Big Changes Knicks Must Make to Compete for NBA Championship in the Playoffs

The New York Knicks have a non-zero chance of winning an NBA championship this season.

And, no, we're not just saying that for dramatic effect.

This front office has assembled one of the deepest rosters in the Association, and if this club ever gets back to full-strength, it could have both the high-end talent and depth needed to make a title run.

Now, no one other than the players in this locker room, their immediate family members and maybe the Bing Bong! guy will view the Knicks as championship favorites, but they don't have to hold that distinction in order to have a championship pulse. What they do need, though, are the following three elements to help make this dream a reality.

While the Knicks admittedly have little control over their injury report, that doesn't change the fact that the best thing that can happen for their championship hopes is their roster getting—and staying—healthy.

New York has finally found some relief on that front of late, but it's still awaiting the returns of Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson. Those are two enormous pieces to take out of this puzzle.

Randle, a three-time All-Star, ranks second on the team in points (24), rebounds (9.2) and assists (5.0). Robinson, a 7-footer with serious bounce, has physical tools New York's other bigs can't match and uses them to make an impact as a shot-blocker, glass-cleaner and above-the-rim finisher.

If the Knicks can't get these players back in time to re-establish their rhythm, it's hard to see their championship dreams materializing.

The Knicks aren't where they find themselves without Jalen Brunson's All-Star ascension.

The 6'2" point guard has been everything they needed and more. Beyond leading the charge with team-highs of 26.9 points and 6.6 assists, he's also dazzling with efficiency (47.6/40.5/84.2 shooting slash) and limiting his mistakes (2.4 turnovers in 35.1 minutes).

It's not easy to get a talent like that off the court or to search for ways to get the ball out of his hands, but the Knicks should be looking to do both.

Whatever championship hopes they have start with Brunson going berserk in the playoffs, so New York must be careful about overextending him before the postseason even starts. Plus, finding more minutes and touches for others could not only help keep Brunson fresh, it just might expand the offensive menu and make this attack less predictable and better equipped to throw counter-punches at different defensive schemes.

While Isaiah Hartenstein has received a bigger opportunity than ever before, it still isn't big enough.

The do-it-all (or do-everything-but-shoot, actually) center has masterfully provided exactly what New York needs from him, but he still has more to give. His 24.9 minutes might be (easily) a career-high, but the Knicks should find ways to get him more floor time.

They've given him 30-plus minutes 18 times this season, and they won 13 of those contests. That's a .722 winning percentage or a 59-win pace for the non-math majors in the audience. They've also seen their net rating climb 7.0 points per 100 possessions when he's on the floor, per NBA.com, which gives him their third-best net differential among rotation regulars.

Even if the Knicks get Robinson back, this strategy should be in play. That would help New York take advantage of all that Hartenstein has to offer while also not throwing too much too fast at Robinson, whose December ankle surgery was initially thought to be season-ending.