The New York Knicks starting five when healthy is one of the best in the NBA, but with Jalen Brunson sidelined with an ankle injury, there is concern about whether or not the team can stay healthy throughout the postseason. Even health aside, there are legitimate concerns about their defense.
Chandler Parsons weighs in on Knicks playoff chances
Former NBA player turned analyst Chandler Parsons thinks that New York will have a hard time getting through the postseason with the aforementioned flaws of the team.
“People were saying the New York Knicks, on paper, had the best roster going into this season. They had so much championship hopes…they’re gonna have a tough time getting out of the first round, let alone competing for a championship,” Parsons said on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back.
A fully healthy Knicks team is capable of taking on the best of the best. However, they have struggled mightily against the few teams in front of them, as they are winless in their matchups against the Cavaliers, Celtics, and Thunder.
The Knicks will have their work cut out for them in the playoffs
Furthermore, they have struggled this season against their potential first-round opponent, the Detroit Pistons. The two teams have played three times this season with Detroit securing a win in two of them, and their depth from top to bottom could be a lot for the Knicks to handle.
However, the Knicks do have more star power as Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns are both All-Stars and they are surrounded by great role players in Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart. Their talent level is enough to get them to at least an Eastern Conference Finals appearance, but they have to put it together on both ends of the floor to make that a reality.
New York is sitting comfortably in the No. 3 seed of the Eastern Conference right now and will focus on getting to the postseason healthy. They have their next game against the Miami Heat on Monday as their schedule gets lighter to finish out the month.