Riding high on a nine-game winning streak and winners of 12 of their last 14 games- the New York Knicks are on fire. They play tough, hard-nosed, physical basketball—outworking teams both on the boards and in the paint. Coach Tom Thibodeau has a team very much in his vision- prepared to play every night. Consequently, the Knicks are one of the hottest teams in the NBA since the new year. Below are five reasons to take the Knicks seriously moving forward.
Since the glory days of the Patrick Ewing-led, Jeff Van Gundy-coached teams of the 90s, minus a spell of Carmelo Anthony‘s stardom under Mike Woodson, the Knicks have largely been dogged by mediocrity and mismanagement, until now. Under the leadership of the new Front Office and Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks are on course to make the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. They’ve built a deep roster with plenty of young talent approaching their prime. Flush with future draft assets, there is a belief around the league they will be poised to further augment their team moving forward. In the meantime, on the backs of magnificent seasons from Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle, the Knicks look poised to be a fun team to watch the rest of the way.
Five Reasons to Take the Knicks Seriously:
1. Knicks Are Well-Coached and One of the Hottest Teams in the NBA
Since December 4th, when Tom Thibodeau shortened the Knicks’ rotation- their record is 28-14. They are second in the NBA in net rating since that game and third in offensive rating.
As winners of nine straight, and beating the Celtics on Sunday night in double overtime, as well as beating last year’s finalists handily last week by 15 points. They’ve also beaten all teams surrounding them in the Eastern Conference, the Heat, Nets, and Cavs, as part of this winning streak. Overall, the Knicks are 39-27, 5th in the Conference, and just 1 game behind the Cavs in 4th.
Friday’s win against the Heat saw an incredible offensive game and a buzzer-beater from Julius Randle. That game showed the tenacity and determination the team is showing under Thibodeau. This was further exemplified by Sunday’s gritty win in double overtime in Boston despite Brunson missing the game through injury.
This is a team prepared to play hard every night. As Thibodeau was recently quoted as saying, “We have a team of leaders, a team of gym rats.” Everyone has bought into the work ethic, and there are really positive vibes in the locker room. You can tell with the visible camaraderie on- and off the court there are good vibes with this team. Josh Hart is a leader, as is Brunson. Randle never misses a game and both he and Brunson work extremely hard at their games to be great.
2. The Knicks Have Their Batman and Robin Dynamic Duo
I’ll say this now. It was absurd that Jalen Brunson wasn’t voted in as an All-Star. Nevertheless, he’s been on a torrid run on the way to winning Eastern Conference Player of the Month honors. Averaging: 27 points and 6 assists, on an excellent 53% from the field and 42% from deep. In their recent schooling of the Nets, Brunson was an absurdly efficient 15-18 from the field on the way to 39 points. 30 of them in the first half alone.
Brunson is a genuine contender to win Most Improved Player this year. Averaging 16 points per game last year as a role player for the Mavs, he signed in New York as a free agent and is now up to 24 points per game to become one of the top Guards in the Eastern Conference.
Brunson’s relentless work ethic on and off the court stands out. His physicality, handles, and footwork are all sublime. Enabling him to create space in the tightest spots. He’s unstoppable in the paint right now, and his three-point shot is up to an excellent 41% overall. The advanced metrics love his game, too- his Crafted Offensive Plus-Minus has him in the NBA’s 95th percentile per craftednba.com.
Not to be outdone, Julius Randle has been in ‘beast mode’ all season long and is a well-deserved All-Star. Coming off a monstrous game Friday night in Miami against the Heat, where he cooked DPOY candidate Bam Adebayo for 43 points. Including a breathtaking buzzer-beating three to win it 122-120.
In his first game after the All-Star break, he weaved his magic against the Wizards with 46 points and 14 rebounds. Overall for the season, Randle has 25 points per game and 10 rebounds, putting him amongst the best scoring forwards in the NBA this year. He’s also second in the NBA in second-chance points.
Randle and Brunson are definitely one of the five reasons to take the Knicks seriously.
3. Knicks Boast One of the Best Benches in the League
A key reason to take the Knicks seriously is their bench depth. A factor that makes this bench one of the strongest in the NBA is they play a completely different style to the slower half-court ball-dominant first unit. With Quickley, Hart, Toppin, and Hartenstein off the bench, the Knicks are very deep. They play quicker, are excellent defensively, and move the ball. This gives opponents a completely different style to match up with, often giving them momentum when on the court. They love to play in transition.
Immanuel Quickley is currently the favorite for Sixth Man of the Year. Amongst NBA reserves, Quickley is in the top 10 in points and assists. Furthermore, he’s third amongst reserve guards in rebounds. Scoring in double digits in 31 of the Knicks’ last 34 games, and averaging 18 points on 54% shooting, 45% from three in his last 10 games.
Defensively, other than Hart, he’s the Knicks’ best perimeter defender with a 107 defensive rating. Quickley put Boston to the sword with 38 points in front of a national TV audience in a remarkable performance, where he refused to allow the Knicks to lose despite them being short-handed. It’s been a mercurial rise from the young combo guard this year.
4. Josh Hart Raises the Team’s Ceiling
The Hart deadline deal is another reason to take the Knicks seriously. This trade is a huge win for the Knicks. Indeed, the Knicks are unbeaten since he joined the team. Hart’s been a key factor in all these wins. He’s the Knicks energizer bunny off the bench; his all-round game is superb prior to Sunday’s game Hart’s- shooting 60% from three as a Knick and 61% from the field. Averaging 11 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and three assists off the bench.
Hart is the Knicks’ best defender statistically. He’s also the best rebounding guard in the NBA for his size and is in the 88th percentile in passer rating and defensive versatility per craftednba.
Despite coming off the bench, he’s normally tasked with closing games due to his versatility and all-around game. Hart does so much to affect games with his perimeter defense and play in transition. He’s excellent at collecting rebounds and setting up the perfect outlet pass in transition. Offensively, he’s able to slash to the rim or take open threes. His work rate and ability to do the dirty work is a seamless fit in this roster. It’s little wonder why Brunson was overjoyed at the news of the trade, and Thibodeau pushed for his acquisition. He feels like the missing piece to the puzzle this year.
5 Mitch Robinson- A key to their interior defense
Mitchell Robinson hasn’t missed a beat since returning from thumb surgery. In fact, he arguably looks better. Since coming back, the seven-foot center has averaged nine points, 10.6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks. He’s already made some highlight reel blocks since his return.
Mitch is fundamental to the Knicks’ defensive system. He’s an elite Pick-and-roll defender, and his overall rim protection is elite. Robinson is also one of the best offensive rebounders in the NBA- ranking in the 98th percentile in offensive rebounds and 97th percentile in blocks, per craftednba.
Overall the Knicks are third in the NBA in rebounds, and he plays a big part in that, along with Randle and Hartenstein in the front court.
Mitch is the perfect fit for a Tom Thibodeau defense in terms of his high defensive IQ and physicality. He leads all Knick starters in net rating signifying his importance the rest of the way.
Overall- Five reasons to take the Knicks seriously
Going into the final 16 games, the Knicks have a very good chance to cement their place in the top six automatic playoff places. Only the Bucks have been hotter than the Knicks in the NBA since the New Year. There are various reasons to like their chances of being a tough-out in a playoff series: Thibodeau has a team very much in his old-school image of work ethic, and they’ve all bought in. They are also one of the more physical teams in the league as a result.
Down-low, the Knicks are a beast, with Robinson backed up by Hartenstein providing rim protection. Josh Hart raises their ceiling defensively, adding to their already strong bench headlined by Quickley’s rise. Grimes is a solid ‘three and D guard’ also playing well.
Most of all, Brunson and Randle have been nothing short of sensational offensively on a nightly basis. It’s time to take the Knicks seriously moving forward.
