How Legit are the Knicks?

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The New York Knickerbockers have been the surprise of the NBA this season. New Head Coach Tom Thibodeau has brought his hard nosed, defensive style to a young Knicks team. This culture update has allowed the Knicks to thrive under Thibs. New York has also struck gold with the emergence of Julius Randle. Randle is a 6 year NBA Vet who is having his best year by far. He is averaging career highs in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and 3 point percentage. Randle made his first All-Star appearance this year and should be a lock to take home the Most Improved Player Award at the end of the year. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him on an All-NBA team as well.

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But Randle isn’t the only person reaching new heights. 2nd year player and former #2 overall pick RJ Barrett has begun to show glimpses of star potential. Barrett has increased his scoring average from 14.3 in his Rookie campaign to 17.5 PPG this season. He has also upped his rebounds, assists, and 3 point percentage. He now shoots a respectable 39% from deep on 4 attempts per game. The last unexpected spark for the Knicks has come from their point guard unit. The 3 guard unit of Elfrid Payton, Derrick Rose, and Rookie Immanuel Quickley have provided the Knicks with a trio of steady hands at the helm. Payton has taken control of the starting role, but Rose and Quickley’s contributions off the bench may be more critical to New York’s success.

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Quickley has turned into one of the steals of the draft. The 25th overall pick is making his case for an All-Rookie team. He is averaging 11.6 PPG off the New York bench while providing them with an ability to score and manage the game well beyond his years. He leads all Rookies in Free Throw percentage at a very impressive 89%. Quickley has spoken about Lou Williams being his favorite player growing up. He plays a lot like Lou Will, but has the potential to become a much better defender. Rose has been crucial to New York since being traded from Detroit in February. Rose has slotted in seamlessly due to his past experience under Coach Thibs. He has been a go-to scorer for the Knicks in the clutch and has provided veteran leadership to a young roster.

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So, are the Knicks legit? After winning 9 of their last 10, New York currently sits in 4th place in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks already have 34 wins on the season after Las Vegas predicted them to finish with only 21. They are 4th in basketball in defensive rating and have shown an ability to score when they need to. With all this being said, I currently believe the Knicks to be in the lower half of the Eastern Conference. Despite their recent success, they still have an average age of 25 across their roster. They are missing their most important big man in Mitchell Robinson and lack enough size to stop the elite teams from scoring consistently. They also lack Playoff experience. Randle has only played in 2 Playoff series his whole career. The only people with Playoff experience on the roster are Derrick Rose and Taj Gibson, which would be exciting if this was 2012. The Knicks are currently 15-16 against teams over .500 and 13-17 on the road. New York has shocked everyone this season. They have overachieved and sit as a Playoff lock heading down the stretch. Whether they will steer clear of the Play-In tourney is still yet to be seen, but being in the Top 4 with 2 weeks left in the Regular Season is something zero Knicks fans expected. So yes, the Knicks are legit. But are they serious contenders? Maybe not for a few more years.