No pressure, New York Knicks … the former boss is counting on you.

With the men’s basketball world facing the dog days of August after the Olympics, ex-Knicks general manager placed early expectations upon his former proteges during an episode of his “Hoop Genius” podcast. Fresh off a 50-win season and replenishing its Villanova stock with Mikal Bridges, the Knicks, Perry believes, are armed well enough to end one of the most dubious streaks attached to the franchise.

“Conference finals,” Perry said of his expectations for the 2024-25 season, referencing a round the Knicks haven’t reached since 2000 (h/t New York Basketball on X). “They’ve got all of the necessary ingredients to get there (like) depth: (Julius) Randle’s coming back, Mitchell Robinson’s coming back. (Head coach Tom Thibodeau) has his extension.”

“Everybody’s comfortable. Everybody got paid this offseason in some way, shape or form … It is conference finals at a minimum for this New York Knicks team,”

Though Perry did note that Randle’s financial situation needs resolving, his point still stands in the fact that Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby each earned extended security. Last season’s post-Perry additions Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart are also locked up for multiple seasons.

Perry would know what most of this team is capable of: as the general manager of the team from 2017 through 2023, Perry was part of the group that brought in several major contributors, such as Bruson and Randle. The fact that the Knicks reached the 50-win and conference semifinal plateaus in the wake of numerous injuries will only raise the intrigue this season.

The Knicks are one of three teams to win at least one playoff series in each of the last two tournaments alongside champions Denver and Boston. That’s hardly any consolation for their extended conference final drought: New York has not been among the NBA’s final four since 2000, creating the third-longest active such departure in the Association, behind only Washington and Charlotte.

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