The New York Knicks may not be the best team in the league but they’re peaking at the right time and can no longer be ignored.
With just a few weeks before the start of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, there may not be a team that is playing better basketball than the New York Knicks. Ok, well, maybe the Milwaukee Bucks are, but other than them, the Knicks are playing their best brand of basketball of the season at just the right time.
As the Bucks, Boston Celtics, and the Philadelphia 76ers (to a certain extent) continue to claim all the headlines in the Eastern Conference, it would probably be smart to keep a close eye on what’s happening in New York.
After some inconsistent stretches during the first half of the season, it’s starting to seem as if the Knicks have hit their stride as a team. And you can’t help but wonder how high this team can soar over the next few weeks as the playoffs quickly approach.
The New York Knicks are a different team since the turn of the calendar
Through 36 games this season (on December 30), the Knicks were 18-18 and sitting in 8th place in the Eastern Conference standings. After making such a big play for Jalen Brunson during the offseason, something still wasn’t right for the team.
However, after some excellent tinkering with the rotation and some falling into a rhythm by a few of their key contributors, it seems as if head coach Tom Thibodeau finally has the Knicks playing at the level that many hoped they could reach this season.
Since December 30, the Knicks are 21-9. That’s the third-best record in the NBA and the second-best record in the East (behind the Bucks). During that span, the Knicks have the league’s third-best offense and fifth-best net rating. And they’re not just beating up on bad teams during this run. In fact, since the new year, the Celtics have impressive wins over the likes of the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelpiha 76ers, and have beaten the Boston Celtics three times.
Brunson has been spectacular and better than expected, Julius Randle is playing at a consistent all-star level once again, and RJ Barrett, even though he has struggled with his 3-point shooting, has been extremely productive for this team on the offensive end while playing stingy defense on the other end of the floor.
After a slow start to the year, Immanuel Quickley has turned it on recently and Josh Hart has proven to be an excellent NBA Trade Deadline addition.
As a team that is beginning to peak at just the right time, the Knicks that can no longer be ignored. Even if you don’t believe that they can win the East outright, which they are still probably a move away from doing, the Knicks are playing at a level that will present some clear problems in the postseason. For whoever they match up with.
The Knicks are currently the fifth seed in the East but they’re only one game back of the fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers.
If you wish to be hesitant about believing in the Knicks, that’s perfectly fine. This is a franchise that probably deserves it. But, with how this team has played over the last few months, the Knicks are no longer a team that can be ignored in the East. They’re getting hot at just the right time.