NBA Power Rankings Week 11: All-Star break edition
By Corey Rausch
27. . 19-18. Previous: 18th. New York Knicks. 13. team
Last Week: Beat Detroit Pistons 109-90, Lost to San Antonio Spurs 119-93, Beat Detroit Pistons 114-104
This Week: 3/11 at Milwaukee Bucks, 3/13 at Oklahoma City Thunder
The New York Knicks are, for once, one of the actual fun stories in the NBA. Jokes were made about hiring Tom Thibodeau and planning to win now. Turns out that is exactly what they are doing, entering the All-Star break with a winning record, an All-Star and an elite defense.
This is the first time since 2013 that the Knicks are above .500 this late in the season. During that year, they finished the season as the second seed in the conference. They are one of only five Eastern Conference teams with a winning record. They may not finish at the lofty level of their predecessor from nearly a decade ago but that does not minimize what they are doing.
Julius Randle blossoming into an All-Star at this point in his career is special. He is averaging 23.2 points, 11.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. He is shooting 40.8 percent from distance on 4.6 attempts per game. All of those are career highs. More than any other Knick, Julius Randle has taken to the new coaching staff beautifully.
Even better, the Knicks currently rank second behind just the Los Angeles Lakers in defensive rating This is Thibodeau’s calling card but being able to do that with the roster he has been given is stunning. This is a work of art, and while the media tends to overblow things happening in New York, this is real.