NBA Mid-Season Grades: Celtics standout; Warriors, Lakers receive failing marks

Handing out mid-season grades to every team in the NBA.

Boston Celtics v Dallas Mavericks
Boston Celtics v Dallas Mavericks | Tim Heitman/GettyImages
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New York Knicks

On the season as a whole, the New York Knicks have been one of the most consistent teams in the Eastern Conference. Since making the move for OG Anunoby, the Knicks have been one of the hottest teams in the league. This is a team that is still getting better and that will continue to be the case as the second half of the season unfolds. Even more so if they do end up making another move before the NBA Trade Deadline.

The big question for the Knicks is how high of a ceiling the team has this season. Right now, there's a path toward the Knicks finishing as a top 4 seed in the East. Ideally, the Knicks would want to finish as the third seed to avoid a potential clash with the Boston Celtics in the second round. But New York can't be greedy.

That's not something they should obsess about just yet. New York is having one of their best seasons in recent history. The next natural step for this team is a run to the conference finals. It won't be easy but the Knicks may finally have the pieces in place where such a move would not be surprising at all.

Grade: B+