What happened: New York enters the 2026-27 offseason identifying specific growth areas for its championship roster, with Jalen Brunson's ballhandling against pressure defenses drawing the sharpest focus after the Spurs' length forced turnovers in the Finals. Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns each have individual targets tied to sustaining the title run into next season.
Why it matters: The Knicks are the defending champions heading into a East that projects to be tougher, and the development list reflects an effort to close specific gaps exposed during the playoff run rather than a wholesale roster overhaul. Anunoby's evolution into a 20-point complementary scorer and Hart's three-point aggression are framed as repeatable, not one-off, playoff traits the team needs available from the start of 2026-27.
By the numbers: Brunson: 1.2 assist-to-turnover ratio in the Finals. Anunoby: 20 PPG on 62% shooting on twos and 49% on threes in the playoffs. Hart: 41% from three in the regular season, 37% in the playoffs after the Hawks series.
What to watch: Watch for how Brunson, Bridges and Towns approach these individual focus points once Knicks training camp opens for 2026-27.