The Knicks’ real work begins now

At the start of all of this, remember, Thursday wasn’t supposed to mark the end of anything. Back in December — before we knew what the Knicks were, before we understood what they could be, before we marveled at what they became — Thursday was assumed to be Day 18 of the most important part of the Knicks’ season.

The Critical Offseason of 2021. The season interrupted that. By Thursday morning there was still some residual sadness, some lingering anger, some loitering frustration at how the Knicks’ season had come tumbling down in five games against the Hawks in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.