The New York Knicks enter the 2026-27 regular season as the envy of most of the NBA. They’re the defending champions, favored by many to return to the Finals. Their starting five is as good as any on the planet. Their bench unit played a starring role throughout the playoffs. They only added one new regular to the mix, meaning continuity is king, yet that one newbie’s about to enter the top-25 rebounders of all time.

Yes sir, the Knicks have just about everything going their way.

The only shortcoming for New York: even all that may not be enough to repeat as champions. Because as masterfully as Leon Rose and the front office have navigated the sinister second apron, the Knicks have a privileged version of the same problem the apron is designed to create for every team: a lack of depth.

Knicks' lack of depth could be a potential weakness this season

It’s not evident, not at first. If the Knicks were without Jalen Brunson for any extended time, they’d obviously be screwed. 3-time All-NBA honorees and reigning Finals MVPs don’t grow on trees. If Karl-Anthony Towns misses a significant stretch, there’s literally no one alive who can fill in for all that he brings. Same for OG Anunoby, who can drop 30 on anyone while locking down anyone, 1 through 5.

But none of that is news. Take Victor Wembanyama and Dylan Harper off the Spurs, Shai-Gilgeous Alexander and Chet Holmgren off the Thunder or Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey off the 76ers, and those teams would be unrecognizable. That’s been true for all of NBA history. The second apron takes it further.

Josh Hart is as sui generis as it gets. For all the heat Mikal Bridges has taken in his two years in New York, he’s scored 16 a game on 50/36/82 shooting, an elite midrange weapon and defender. Neither demands that plays be run for them. Hart is playing through a finger injury that will eventually involve career-ending surgery; Bridges hasn’t missed a game since high school. They may not be as rare as the other three starters, but they’re uncommonly uncommon.

The bespoke quality of the starters extends to the bench.

Besides being tall, Andre Drummond and James Wiseman have as much in common as T.J. Ford and T.J. Hooker. Drummond has shown a durability and mastery of the glass that Wiseman can only dream of. Wiseman is a Knick for seemingly every reason Drummond isn’t: he’s young, he’s athletic and there's untapped scoring potential there. Losing either center would leave New York with no one to replace their skill set.

The one position the Knicks seem most stacked at is backup guard, but even there it’s an ecosystem of exceptions. Miles McBride is the quintessential 3-and-D combo guard. Jose Alvardo is a better dribbler than Deuce and more likely to cause turnovers, but Alvarado doesn’t have the strength or stroke McBride does. Landry Shamet can shoot as well as McBride with a much quicker trigger, but he doesn’t run an offense like Alvarado and isn’t the physical presence McBride is in the backcourt.

Mo Diawara contains trace elements of Anunoby and Hart, but isn’t as strong or polished as either. If Anunoby were out for a while, Diawara resembles a rough sketch of Anunoby: the size and length to play the 4, but without the self-creation chops or strength. He’s looked more Hart-like this preseason, what with his off-ball movement and growing comfort attacking closeouts.

The city of Chicago looks more like New York than Boston does. Doesn’t mean Chicago looks like New York.

Having a roster full of uniquely talented players is not the worst problem a team can have. The Celtics are trying to win with one scorer for the first time since Isaiah Thomas had Avery Bradley as his co-pilot. The Pacers have Tyrese Halibutron returning from a year lost to an Achilles tear, still yet to play a single minute that matters with new center Ivica Zubac. The Nuggets' owners have refused to spend on improvements since they won the title three years ago. Everyone is dealing with their own challenges.

Defending the title is a welcome challenge. Defending it with 90% of the same players is, too. Defending it knowing there’s no way to replace any one of them? If it were easy, everyone would do it. It’s not easy.

Thankfully, these Knicks have shown they’re not just anyone.