There's one stat that should have New York Knicks fans second-guessing their true championship chances.
Heading into the start of the season, it was difficult not to consider the New York Knicks as a potential championship contender in the Eastern Conference alongside the likes of the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and possibly the Milwaukee Bucks. In the end, only the Celtics and Knicks ended up living up to those standards. The Bucks could eventually get there because they're currently outside the top 4 in the Eastern Conference standings. The Cleveland Cavaliers were a somewhat suprise team that forced their way into the conversation this season.
However, even though the Knicks are currently a top 3 seed in the East, there are certainly questions about their viability as a contender. There may not be one trend more concerning than the fact that the Knicks are 0-7 against the Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, and Oklahoma City Thunder - the three teams that most consider to be unanimous contenders in the NBA.
At least so far this season, the Knicks haven't proven they can keep pace with the rest of the NBA's elite group. As the final push toward the playoffs arrives, you can't help but wonder if the Knicks are truly ready for the championship spotlight - even after making their bold offseason moves.
The New York Knicks are championship or bust
After running out of gas in the Eastern Conference Semifinals last season, the Knicks entered the offseason in hopes of landing a star player to help put the finishing touches on a championship build. New York got really aggressive and managed to land two star-worthy players in Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns.
With the big additions of Bridges and KAT, the hope was that the Knicks would be able to emerge as a serious contender in the East this season. And if you just look at the standings, you could be led to believe that to be so. However, the fact that the Knicks haven't been all that competitive with the top three teams in the league (having lost all but one of those games by double digits), perhaps New York is still a ways away from competing for a championship.
New York's core of Jalen Brunson, KAT, Bridges, and OG Anunoby are all under the age of 30. While there is an urgency to make the jump to contender status, it's also not as if this team HAS to win this season. The Knicks have a 2-4 year window with this group, if not more. The Knicks will admit themselves that they're a "work in progress" until the postseason begins.
However, I'd argue that this team is still going to be considered a "work in progress" heading into the postseason. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. The Knicks may not be ready to contend for a title this season. That doesn't mean they still aren't set up to win a championship in the not-so-distant future.