Despite recent setbacks, the Knicks remain sleeping giants in the stacked East

The New York Knicks went into the All-Star Break with a 36-18 record. Even though they went 8-2 across their final 10 games, some have drawn issue with the the quality of select wins as well as their disheartening losses to the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.

Despite these concerns, it is important to keep in mind that the Knicks have yet to play a game with a fully-loaded roster. Mitchell Robinson has not made his season debut, and OG Anunoby has recently been out after suffering a non-contact injury against the Lakers.

New York fell to LA after Anunoby left the game and was then defeated by the Celtics exactly a week later. Precious Achiuwa, Ariel Hukporti, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Miles McBride have each had to take on more responsibility since Anunoby went down towards the end of January.

The underrated Knicks remain sleeping giants in the stacked East

New York's loss to Boston was particularly revealing. Without both Robinson and Anunoby, the Knicks struggled to contain Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Luke Kornet. Boston was the more physically imposing team.

Their size overwhelmed the Knicks. Players like Kornet benefitted from Robinson's absence while Tatum and Brown were able to find space and a plethora of ways to be productive.

These losses encapsulated the primary concern surrounding the Knicks. Without Robinson and Anunoby, New York's lack of depth became something that opponents could exploit. Boston particularly went out of their way to place Brunson and Towns in difficult defensive matchups.

Even though New York won their final game before the break, a 149-148 overtime thriller against the Atlanta Hawks, it did not come without criticism. Some pundits have pointed out that they lost what was a decent lead at one point and needed 80 combined points from Brunson and Towns.

While all of these concerns are valid, the Knicks' recent injuries should not be glossed over. Robinson and Anunoby are major parts of the team. It could be argued that their presence allows Brunson, Towns, and others the room required to be at their best. The Knicks' front office likely chose to remain mostly silent at the trade deadline because they believe the current core could make a real run this spring.

Health will play a major role down the stretch. They may have still fallen to Boston and LA with a clean bill of health, but it is undeniable that these matchups would have looked much different under better circumstances. Even still, it could be said that worrying about a single season would be "missing the forest for the trees."

As far as the Knicks' scrappy win against Atlanta is concerned, fans should take solace in the fact that they were able to rally. With the current injuries in play, such a victory may have also given the team's bench valuable experience for potential high-stress minutes down the road.

There is still a long way to go, and while the Knicks have seen some ups and downs, it is still far too early to throw in the towel.