Andy Dufresne didn’t have to watch the last decade of New York sports.
Tim Robbins’ character in “The Shawshank Redemption” once wrote, “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.”
Hope sure seemed to be dead in New York sports until the last year — or more particularly the last restorative month, with alternating Knicks and Rangers playoff games overshadowing some other teams off to fast starts.
Now that the Knicks have been eliminated, here is an updated Hope Index for New York’s nine professional football, basketball, baseball and hockey teams. It’s about providing good times and big moments — not necessarily delivering a championship.
1. Rangers
Eight wins down, eight to go to end a 30-year Stanley Cup drought.
Since the Giants won Super Bowl 46 in Feb. 2012, no New York sports team has provided more thrills than the Rangers. Not only have the Rangers been in the playoffs 10 of 13 times, this is their fifth trip to the Eastern Conference Finals over that span (1-3 record).
The get-in-the-door price for Wednesday’s Game 1 against the Panthers at Madison Square Garden is $382 on Vivid Seats.
The core of Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, Adam Fox, Artemi Panarin, Igor Shesterkin and others who have been with the team for at least five seasons have endured every recent heartbreak alongside the fans, building a bond.
Kreider’s series-clinching natural hat trick in the Game 6 comeback against the Hurricanes could live on as an all-time New York sports memory if the Rangers finish the job.
2. Yankees
Maybe the Yankees were wise not to fire general manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone after all.
Keeping those two after last season’s miserable 82-80 finish seemed defeatist. But the Yankees own the American League’s best record as the 50-game marker nears.
Nearly as much optimism can be drawn from this new Juan Soto-powered incarnation of the Yankees dominating the seven-game season series against the annual postseason nemesis Astros (6-1).
With the American League’s best pitching staff — 2.86 ERA even before Gerrit Cole makes his season debut — this team has the look of a potential champion, with other ways to win if The Aaron Judge Show goes quiet in the playoffs again.
Every cheer also feels like fans trying to bank equity with Soto to pull at his heartstrings when he reaches free agency after the season.
3. Liberty
Maybe they have a smaller fan base than some of these legacy teams, but the Liberty are off to a 4-0 start — joining the parade of opponents to rudely welcome rookie phenom Caitlin Clark to the pros — after reaching the WNBA Finals last season.
The Liberty’s ticket revenue at Barclays Center — their full-time home arena since 2021 — is tracking to be up 70 percent, according to ESPN.
Clark’s popularity has boosted national interest in women’s basketball. For fans outside of Indiana who can’t see her play regularly, watching 2023 WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart and 3-point sharpshooter Sabrina Ionescu is a good alternative.
If the Rangers don’t hoist the Cup, the Liberty — an original WNBA franchise still seeking a first title — could be the next team celebrated in the Canyon of Heroes.
4. Knicks
Timing really is everything. The Knicks might have been No. 1 on this list last week.
But the lovable, hard-working, rebound-chasing overachievers won’t play another meaningful game until October. By then, the roster could look very different, with decisions to make on the futures of Julius Randle (trade chip?) and free agents OG Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein.
It’s been a long time since a non-championship team was as popular in New York as the 2023-24 Knicks, who were given ovations at the end of a Game 7 home loss because of the fight shown in the face of mounting injuries.
Just not being the same old dreadful 21st century Knicks won’t be enough to create good vibes come next season, however.
Team president Leon Rose has a difficult task ahead: trying to find a superstar who is willing to defer to Brunson, play under the demanding Tom Thibodeau and not disrupt the chemistry of the “Nova Knicks,” including Brunson, Hart and an ascending Donte DiVincenzo.
5. Jets
Keep in mind that this list isn’t championship-or-bust.
The path to a Super Bowl for the Jets runs through an AFC gauntlet of quarterback-driven contenders such as the Chiefs, Bills and Bengals. But MetLife Stadium has hosted one NFL playoff game (for the Giants) since it opened in 2010, with the Jets’ last home playoff game coming in 2002.
The Jets have seven legitimate All-Pro-caliber players (Aaron Rodgers, Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson, Tyron Smith, Sauce Gardner, C.J. Mosley and Quinnen Williams) who can provide fireworks. Six of their first 11 games are scheduled for prime time.
If Rodgers still resembles a four-time MVP as a 40-year-old quarterback coming off a torn Achilles, the Jets should author their best season since 2010.
6. Islanders
Three straight years of not winning a playoff series have the Islanders stuck in the mud — their back-to-back appearances as one of the final four teams standing (2020 and 2021) are a fleeting memory. They are not bad enough to fully tear things down, not good enough to re-emerge from the Rangers’ shadow and compete for a title.
Signing Noah Dobson to a long-term extension is a must before next season. Surrounding Dobson with faster, more electric players is a must, too, even if it means breaking up the core, most of which was in place as far back as 2016.
Otherwise, the Islanders risk being the next-worst thing to non-competitive. They could be boring to patrons of a new $1.5 billion arena.
7. Mets
Hope exists in the idea that the National League is mediocre enough that a 21-26 start is good enough to be just 2.5 games out of a wild-card spot. The MLB playoffs are a crapshoot.
But that is a truth that doesn’t pass the eye test. More often than not, the Mets look flat.
It is time to accept that Jeff McNeil’s 2022 batting title was a fluke. Trading slugger Pete Alonso before free agency — a smart business move that would be unpopular with fans — feels more likely with every loss.
The plan to rely on youngsters isn’t working because Brett Baty and Mark Vientos aren’t hitting and Francisco Alvarez and Ronny Mauricio are injured.
The Mets would be lower on this list if not for owner Steve Cohen’s fat wallet, which could expedite a turnaround.
8. Giants
After a disappointing 6-11 finish in 2023 — their sixth losing record in the past seven years — did the Giants import more talent than they exported? It’s difficult to make that argument after losing Saquon Barkley, Adoree Jackson, Xavier McKinney and possibly Darren Waller.
Fan confidence in Daniel Jones — the $160 million quarterback coming off a bad season and two major injuries — has never been lower after the Giants fruitlessly spent countless scouting resources trying to draft his replacement. In the NFL, no franchise quarterback — no hope.
Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Dexter Lawrence are supposed to restore the organization’s foundational pass-rushing ability. Rookie receiver Malik Nabers needs to inject some life into the NFL’s second-worst scoring offense since 2020.
The Giants’ over/under win total is 6.5, according to BetMGM, which speaks to expectations. If the under is trending, head coach Brian Daboll will be on a very hot seat.
9. Nets
The Nets have another new coach: Jordi Fernandez. They do not have enough talent around Mikal Bridges or a first-round draft pick, having long ago regrettably traded what became No. 3 overall to the Rockets for James Harden.
The path to improving upon a 32-50 record and avoiding irrelevance in a crowded market is uncertain short of a blockbuster trade that drains more draft assets.
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The new sound of summer
Look no further than two boroughs of New York City for the ultimate study in the fickle life of an MLB closer.
Two years ago, there was no bigger spectacle in baseball than Edwin Diaz emerging from the Mets’ bullpen to the sounds of Timmy Trumpet on Blasterjaxx’s “Narco.” Diaz was the unflappable (and unhittable) closer who converted 32 of 35 save opportunities, averaged 17.1 strikeouts per nine innings and finished ninth in National League Cy Young Award voting.
After Diaz blew a lead Saturday for the third time in as many appearances over a six-day span, he admitted his confidence was shaken after a slow return from missing all of last season because of a knee injury. Then, in a rare sight, he openly cried at his locker to the point where teammates needed to come over and console him.
Contrast that story with Clay Holmes, who now has a fancy new stadium introduction befitting his status as one of MLB’s best closers. He entered Monday with a 0.00 ERA through 20 innings this season before a total implosion, allowing four earned runs on four hits in a blown save against the Mariners.
As unveiled in Friday’s 4-2 win against the White Sox, and tried again Monday when Holmes couldn’t protect a 4-1 lead, Yankee Stadium darkened, the grandstand flood lights flickered and a montage of Holmes’ highlights played on the video board as he jogged to the mound to start the ninth inning. His entrance song — Chris Stapleton’s “White Horse” — remained unchanged.
Aaron Judge revealed Holmes’ teammates have been “pushing … trying to talk to the right people” to make it happen after seeing how other closers are welcomed in their home ballparks.
“You have a closer like we do, you better have something special for him,” Judge said. “That gave all of us goose bumps. We were pretty juiced running out there in the ninth.”
It’s not the first time Holmes has been dominant. In 2022, he surpassed Mariano Rivera and set a Yankees record with 29 straight scoreless outings — covering 31 ⅓ innings.
Not even one full year later, a struggling Holmes was pulled from the closer’s role in favor of Michael King. He owned a 5.25 ERA through his first 14 appearances of the 2023 season before ultimately rediscovering his command and reclaiming his job.
So, there is hope for Diaz to be great again. And, as Monday showed, there is no guarantee Holmes will remain lights-out. Just the way of life for all closers other than the great Rivera.
The New Jersey Timberwolves
Now that the Knicks are finished, what’s left for the local basketball fan to root for during the NBA playoffs?
Supporting the Pacers is a non-starter — especially after their elimination of the Knicks and the arrogance of Tyrese Haliburton wearing a Reggie Miller-choking sign sweatshirt in celebration at Madison Square Garden.
Rooting against the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals means rooting for the Celtics — and what New York sports fan wants to see more championships won in Boston?
Rooting for the Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals means supporting Nets imploder Kyrie Irving.
Then there is the first-championship-hunting Timberwolves, who are fueled by three former New Jersey high school stars around alpha Anthony Edwards: four-time NBA All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns (St. Joseph in Metuchen), 2024 NBA Sixth Man of the Year winner Naz Reid (Roselle Catholic) and Kyle Anderson (the now-defunct St. Anthony’s in Jersey City).
Towns, 28, kept the Timberwolves alive as Edwards struggled early Sunday in Game 7 of their second-round series against the Nuggets, setting up the 20-point comeback victory.
Reid, 24, finally found his groove in his fifth NBA season, with career highs of 13.5 points and 5.2 rebounds during the regular season. He scored in double figures in five of the seven games against the Nuggets, including a Game 6 double-double (10 points and 11 rebounds).
Anderson, 30, has had the two-highest single-season assist averages of his 10-year NBA journeyman career — 4.9 per game last season and 4.2 this season — since he joined the Timberwolves. He logged 90 minutes off the bench in the seven-game series.
All three Timberwolves once led their high school teams to titles in New Jersey’s Tournament of Champions — to determine the undisputed best team of all the non-public and public group-level champions: Anderson in 2012, Towns in 2014 and Reid in 2015 and 2018. Of course, Irving, 32, also won that same crown in his high school days, leading St. Patrick in Elizabeth to the crown in 2009.
At this point, with the Timberwolves finally on the rise, the Knicks fan who long has been dreaming of a trade that sends Towns back home and pairs him with Brunson is probably out of luck, anyway.
Football is back
Media members will get their first look at the 2024 Jets on Tuesday during an OTA practice. The first look at the 2024 Giants comes Thursday, though the team held a closed-doors practice Monday.
Even more so than normal, all eyes will be on the quarterbacks returning from season-ending injuries.
Aaron Rodgers (torn Achilles) is expected to participate for the Jets, as he did during Monday’s closed-door OTA.
Daniel Jones (torn ACL) took the next step in his rehab Monday by participating in 7-on-7 drills for the Giants, according to the team’s website.
The rules for the three weeks of OTAs practices include no live contact. Helmets are permitted, as are protective knee and elbow pads. Approved drills include 7-on-7, 9-on-7 and 11-on-11 in addition to individual work.
What we’re reading 👀
🏀 Finalizing a contract extension with Tom Thibodeau needs to be the Knicks’ first order of business this offseason, writes The Post’s Mike Vaccaro.
🏒 Inside all of the connections between the Rangers and the Panthers, their opponent in the conference finals beginning Wednesday night.
⚾ With guest Aaron Rodgers looking on, Marcus Stroman was brilliant before the Yankees’ ninth-inning meltdown.
⚾ Francisco Lindor returned to Cleveland, reflected on his time there … and went 0-for-4 in another Mets loss.
🏀 Caitlin Clark scored 17 points and got T’d up as the Fever narrowly failed to secure their first win of the season.
