The Knicks Are a Playoff-Bound Team
The last time the New York Knicks made the playoffs was in 2021. The last time the Knicks won a playoff series was in 2013 where they beat the Boston Celtics in the first round before bowing to the Indiana Pacers in the East semifinals.
With 69 regular-season games played in the 2022-2023 season, the Knicks are playing meaningful games down the stretch. Currently sitting at 39-30, New York is 3 games back of Cleveland for home court advantage in round one of the playoffs.
Despite being one of the most storied franchises in the NBA, the Knicks have gone 50 years since their last championship season. While most fans would agree, it would be a longshot to consider this squad a true “title contender”, simply being relevant again is a nice change of pace for the MSG faithful.
How They Got Here
Prior to their recent 3 game skid, New York was the hottest team in the NBA, riding a 9 game winning streak to rocket up the Eastern Conference standings. With victories over the Celtics (twice), Nets, Hawks, and Heat, the Knicks proved they could hang with the other playoff bound teams in the East.
During that stretch the Knicks’ offense was on a different level. They averaged 124.6 points per 100 possessions. For the season, New York owns the league’s seventh-best mark and have largely done their scoring by committee rather than leaning on an All-NBA level talent to shoulder the offensive load.
Their turnover ratio is 3rd best in the NBA, while their Offensive Rebound Rate is 2nd best in the association. This, coupled with a deep bench that’s bought into their roles on the team, and New York could be more than just a one and done entrant into the postseason.
The acquisition of Josh Hart has given the Knicks additional firepower off the bench. A Hart-led New York bench outscored opponents by 97 points during their recent run of success. In 12 games with his new team thus far, Hart is averaging 10.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and is shooting a scorching 60% from three.
The Knicks’ core of Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson, and RJ Barrett continue to provide the numbers the Knicks need from them. Randle, whose name was part of trade rumours before February’s trade deadline, is averaging 25.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and is shooting 45.9% from the field.
Brunson, who may soon run for Mayor given how quickly the city has embraced him, is averaging 23.8pts and 6.1 assists per game while shooting 41.4% from the three-point line. Barrett’s averages currently stand at 19.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.8ast, and 0.5 steals per game.
And all of that is without mentioning players like Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley, Mitchell Robinson or Quentin Grimes who have repeatedly made their mark on the Knicks season.
Can New York Make Noise in the Playoffs?
In the first round of the 2021 playoffs, the Knicks only managed one victory against the Atlanta Hawks as Trae Young embraced his role as the most hated man in New York. That team was led by Derrick Rose’s 19.4 points and five assists averages in the playoffs.
Two years later, Rose’s numbers have shrunk to 5.6 points and 1.7 assists in just 27 regular-season games. Which is perfectly fine for where this Knicks team is currently at. If New York were leaning heavily on a 34 year old guard with multiple knee surgeries under his belt for offense, they’d likely be in trouble come playoff time.
Instead, Rose can take on the role of “elder statesman” on this young Knicks team. While rumours made the rounds that New York might move on from the former MVP at the deadline, the front office ultimately elected to keep him so as not to upset the locker room chemistry with their group.
While the Knicks’ Big Three is producing numbers the franchise hasn’t seen in years, how consistent the trio of Randle, Brunson, and Barrett will be in the playoffs will dictate how far they can advance.
How high the Knicks climb in the Eastern Conference standings between now and the end of the regular season will also have a major impact on their postseason success as well. While they’ve had a recent run of success against some of the upper echelon teams in the East, most fans would agree, avoiding Milwaukee, Boston, or Philadelphia in the first round would be preferable.
Either way, it’s an exciting time for Knicks fans. Love them or hate them, there’s no denying that the NBA is a more interesting league when New York is relevant to the postseason picture.
-Iggy Gonzales
Photo: All-Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.