Off to an 11-9 start, the New York Knicks are the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference standings. Here’s why they might actually be a legitimate playoff team.
Outside of that brief season in 2012-13, it’s been awhile since the New York Knicks have had a basketball team worthy of our respect. As entertaining as it was watching Phil Jackson reassemble the components of a Chicago Bulls team that would’ve been a heavy title favorite back in 2011, it was hard to buy into what was happening in the Big Apple.
With the offseason arrivals of Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Courtney Lee and Brandon Jennings, it was clear the Knicks were tired of being bad and, as per usual, willing to invest superfluous amounts of money in injury-prone, former big names to try and revitalize the franchise.
Unlike so many past failed endeavors, however, this Knicks team is showing signs of progress despite a 3-6 start that had some fans needing to be talked back down off the ledge.
New York is 8-3 since, they rank fifth in the Eastern Conference standings, and though they’re not an elite offensive or defensive team, they’ve been doing enough to win games. They need to embrace their small-ball destiny, Noah’s contract still might look bad down the road, and free agency for Rose will come with plenty of risk, but for now, the outlook is sunny.
These New York Knicks won’t be competing for a championship anytime soon, and most people already knew they could be a playoff team if everyone stayed healthy, but here are five reasons why these Knickerbockers could be a legitimate playoff squad based on what we’ve seen thus far.