The Knicks lost a laugher at home to the hottest team in the NBA. The real question: is this a building block, or a sign of things to come?

Welcome to Part 2 of our second Knicktion: Knicks-based fiction. In Part 1, the Knicks assembled the super team of James Dolan’s dreams, landing Chris Paul and eventually Carmelo Anthony. But both signed one-year deals with the intention of winning a championship, with the mighty Miami Heat standing in their way.

Welcome to our second Knicktion: Knicks-based fiction. In the first part of this two-part series, Shwinnypooh and Knicks Illustrated imagine a world where the Knicks balked at Denver’s asking price for Carmelo Anthony in 2011, letting him instead go to their crosstown rival.

The Knicks come into free agency armed with a league-leading $50 million-plus of cap space. Is a spending spree incoming? Will they attempt to play it safe for a second straight year? Should they have their eyes on Bradley Beal and Zach LaVine in the 2022 free agent class?

The Knicks have cap space, have had cap space, and figure to have cap space going forward unless the right player comes along. But could the right move for future star-hunting be not to hoard cap space for one in free agency, but sign players that could be used in a trade?

The Knicks’ breakout fourth seed season is definitely the start of something special — but could next season actually feature a bit of a regression? Short of a huge splash in free agency, it might — and it’s not a big deal.

The Knicks and Suns both returned to the playoffs this year after long droughts… but are the two teams intrinsically linked through a series of shared players, coaches, and opportunities both missed and taken?

The Knicks dropped their second straight game in embarrassing fashion, blowing a double-digit lead and tanking the fourth quarter in the Valley of the Sun on the 51st anniversary of the Knicks’ first championship.

Can the Knicks rebound from one of their more embarrassing losses of the season? They get a prime chance in the Valley of the Sun against a team that beat them with some late game heroics just a couple weeks ago.

The Knicks hung in there with Phoenix at home, looking for a 10th straight win. But the Suns are just a little further along in their journey to redemption, in large part because of Chris Paul, who put New York away in the closing minutes of a 118-108 loss.

The Knicks got up big early over the Suns, but ultimately a big run by Phoenix and an absolutely dominant performance from Chris Paul down the stretch ended the win streak at nine.

The Knicks are on the precipice of a 10-game win streak, but their path to double digits won’t be an easy one — they have the Phoenix Suns in town, the second seed in the West.

Jeremy Cohen looks into the trade market for salary dumps for the Knicks this offseason, after SNY reported that the team would be interested in looking for those sorts of deals. But could the Knicks be walking into a barren desert rather than a bountiful oasis?

Derek Reifer examines the Knicks fan base’s love affair with Frank Ntilikina, and then asks the important question: Is it justified? And, on the final year of his rookie deal, what will Frank be worth going forward for New York?

Jack Huntley examines the situation the Knicks find themselves in this offseason: with a hole at point guard, as usual, but with a glut of options to solve the problem for once.

Jonathan Macri is joined by two friends from his former lawyer profession — Yash Manjunath and Bernard Ozarowski — to litigate the trial of the century (or at least this offseason): Should the Knicks trade for Chris Paul?

Jeremy Cohen examines why the Knicks should operate not just this offseason, but the 2021 offseason as well, with eyes on the future and a willingness to absorb bad contracts for assets.

Jonathan Macri is joined by Brian Sampson, AKA Bucks Film Room, to get a Milwaukee perspective on the Giannis Antetokounmpo situation following the Bucks’ ousting from the NBA playoffs. Plus, how Milwaukee might factor into the Chris Paul sweepstakes.

New contributor Mike Plugh breaks down why the Knicks should trade for Chris Paul, taking on the negative perceptions of the potential deal and painting a picture of how a CP3 move could actually be a move for the Knicks’ future.

JB breaks down the most important Knicks news of the week, headlined by the Knicks taking the court again! (To practice, don’t get too excited.)