The wait is over. Months of speculation, trades, and preseason scrimmages are behind them. Now, it’s time to see if the revamped Knicks are built to take down the reigning champs. After retooling their roster with blockbuster moves for Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, New York heads to Boston for their season-opener on Tuesday night — facing the Celtics, who will receive their championship rings in a ceremony the Knicks hope to crash. Whether this new-look team can rise to the challenge depends on five critical factors that could make or break their championship journey. JALEN BRUNSON’S LEADERSHIP NBA general managers voted Stephen Curry as the best leader in the NBA. Second-best? That’s a debate between LeBron James and Jalen Brunson. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. Brunson’s leadership is no secret. He’s the heart of the Knicks — on and off the court. Now, as captain, a title the franchise has handed out just 36 times in its storied history, Brunson’s leadership will be tested like never before. Brunson is the engine behind New York’s five-out offense. A repeat of last season’s success won’t cut it this year. His challenge now is to steer a loaded starting five, balancing an array of talent while keeping the focus on one collective goal: winning a championship. It’s a heavy task, but Brunson’s no stranger to the role. He’s already captained championship teams at every level—leading his high school to a state title and Villanova to two national championships. The question is, can he do it on the biggest stage? The Knicks are betting he can. BRIDGES EMERGING AS RELIABLE THIRD SCORING OPTION The Knicks didn’t part with five first-round picks and a future first-round swap for Bridges to watch him shoot 2-of-19 from three-point range. While Bridges is working through mechanical adjustments to his shot, the career 37.5% shooter is in one of the worst slumps of his career entering Tuesday’s opener. However, shooters always find their rhythm. Bridges, historically an above-average shooter, is expected to rediscover his form this season. As defenses focus on the duo of Brunson and Towns, Bridges’ ability to adapt will be tested. Everything he learned while playing both as a supplementary option in Phoenix and as a top scorer with the Nets will prove vital under these heightened expectations. Despite the slump, Bridges’ prowess remains evident. He’s still the same player who impressed alongside Anthony Edwards on the 2023 FIBA World Cup team: a disruptive defender and a versatile scorer. Once his three-point shooting rebounds to its usual level, Bridges will play a key role in the Knicks’ offensive success. Bridges’ preseason struggles shouldn’t raise alarms; historically, his preseason shooting percentage (32.9%) falls well below his regular-season numbers. His past performance suggests he’ll quickly regain his touch. MAXIMIZING MINIMAL CAP SPACE All eyes are on Brock Aller, the Knicks’ resident salary cap specialist responsible for the payroll gymnastics in both the Bridges and Towns deals. The Knicks currently sit at $185.5 million in guaranteed salaries. Because they aggregated player salaries in these trades, they cannot exceed the hard cap set at $188.931 million — the second apron. This means Aller will need to get creative in finding ways to bolster the Knicks’ supporting cast, particularly in light of injuries to Landry Shamet and Precious Achiuwa. The Knicks need additional depth for their stacked starting five as they look to compete for a title. If Aller can maneuver within the tight cap space, it could allow for critical bench reinforcement. If not, the Knicks will need to rely heavily on their starters while trying to maintain player health for a deep playoff run. The Philadelphia 76ers, for example, have already begun taking a cautious approach by sitting stars like Joel Embiid — and potentially Paul George — for at least one game in each set of back-to-backs. With less than $3.5 million available beneath the second apron and slim pickings left in free agency, the Knicks’ best option may be a trade. Moving someone like Mitchell Robinson and his $14.3 million salary could provide the necessary financial flexibility to strengthen the bench. DEFENSE LIVES UP TO ITS BILLING The Knicks’ defense has talent, but can Towns be the rim protector the team needs with Robinson sidelined?” OG Anunoby’s defensive prowess is well-known, and Bridges has proven to be a disruptive force as well. But the key question for the Knicks is whether Towns can step into the role of enforcer and rim protector for a team light at the center position. Both current and former teammates and coaches believe Towns is up to the task. Now, it’s time for him to prove it on the court. Towns takes over rim protection duties at Madison Square Garden after spending two seasons alongside four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. Towns has learned plenty from Gobert, as Gobert himself acknowledged in a recent interview with The Daily News. However, the safety net is gone. Towns no longer has Gobert to lean on for defensive backup. It’s now up to Towns, and if he can hold down the paint, he’ll also be guarding the Knicks’ title hopes. Of course, rim protection won’t be a one-man job, especially with Robinson sidelined. The entire Knicks defense will need to step up if they want to stay competitive in the East. THE ALMIGHTY THREE-POINT SHOT As Bridges and Towns combined to shoot 0-of-15 from three-point range in the preseason finale against the Washington Wizards, one glaring issue became clear: The Knicks’ five-out offense can’t function if their shooters aren’t making open shots. Thibodeau and his players are satisfied with the shot quality, but the numbers are staggering: Starters, excluding Brunson, shot just 11-of-63, or 17.5%, from downtown throughout the preseason. Towns is a career 39.8% three-point shooter and is unconcerned about his early struggles. Bridges, a 37.5% career shooter, is currently adjusting his form but remains confident he’ll find his shooting rhythm soon. It’s no coincidence that last season’s NBA Finals teams led the league in regular-season three-point attempts. The Knicks, by contrast, finished 13th in attempts (35.8 per game) and 14th in percentage (36.9). Thibodeau wants the team to get up at least 40 threes per game. If those shots start falling, the Knicks could have the firepower to run any team off the floor and gun their way into their most successful season since their failed title run in 1999.