New York Knicks: 3 takeaways from the promising start

A ton of storylines have surfaced in the team’s hot start, with the New York Knicks exceeding people’s expectations by a landslide.

Ring the bells, people! The 2020-21 New York Knicks are actually good. After starting off the season with a record of 5-4, marking this their best performance since the beginning of the 2012-13 campaign, Knicks fans are finally watching quality basketball.

If you were to foreshadow a great start to this Knicks season just a few weeks before tip-off, most Knicks fans would have anticipated the rookies stepping up and leading this team near the top of the standings. Quite contrary, it is the veterans that have emerged and done the job.

Players like Julius Randle, Elfrid Payton and Reggie Bullock were anti-fan favorites over the past 21 months. They have since redeemed themselves, proving to be irreplaceable for Tom Thibodeau’s squad.

Despite this hot start to the season, there is still a ton of work to be done in New York. The Knicks will probably be out of contention for a playoff spot, though this year’s play-in tournament could be within reach.

Initially perceived as the team with the toughest first-half schedule, the Knicks shocked quite a few teams. Victories against the Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers and the Utah Jazz, all of whom are solidified playoff teams, have these long-waiting Knicks fans pretty excited going on.

Thibodeau’s playstyle has molded perfectly with this young core. Players are fighting for every possession, rendering each Knicks game so exciting to watch. The first couple of weeks can be easily summarized with the following takeaways.