Final pow-wow of the season before we start talking about real basketball.
Three wins against good-to-bad teams and a loss against the lone contender the Knicks faced during the past week—through Monday’s slate—left New York pretty much where it already was in the eyes of pundits across the nation.
These Knicks still fell like pretenders more than legitimate contenders. Can they make everything click and find miracle moments all the way through the Finals. Sure. Is it realistic, let alone sane, to do so for the next two months? Honest to God, no.
Here’s a roundup of all the power rankings posted at different outlets through Tuesday’s matchups, capturing the national perception of the Knicks among the basketball elite.
Note: I have included a +/- next to each rank, with a minus sign (-) meaning dropping down and a plus sign (+) meaning climbing up X spots compared to last week’s position on that outlet.
NBA — No. 10 — New York Knicks (—)
John Schuhmann of NBA.com left the Knicks right where he placed them a week ago, right in tenth place and navigating no man’s land.
Schuhmann didn’t consider Tuesday’s loss to Boston, which could have dropped New York in the last PW of the season.
“One takeaway: In his last game before his injury (Mar. 6 at the Lakers), Brunson had possession of the ball for 15.2 minutes per 100 possessions, his highest rate of the season, according to Second Spectrum tracking. On Sunday, he had it for just 10.8 minutes per 100 possessions, his 10th lowest rate of the season.
“So the Knicks may try to keep their offense less reliant on their point guard than it was before he went down. Their defense has generally had greater cause for concern, but other guys must make plays on offense in the playoffs.
“What to watch for this week: The Knicks need one more victory (or a Pacers loss) to clinch the 3 seed. We’ll see if they get anything close to the full-strength Celtics on Tuesday, but if Karl-Anthony Towns’ pick-and-roll defense isn’t under scrutiny then, it will be two nights later in Detroit, where we could get a first-round preview.
“Cade Cunningham totaled 65 points as the Pistons won the last two meetings at Madison Square Garden.” — John Schuhmann
The Athletic — No. 9 — New York Knicks (+2)
Law Murray of The Athletic decided to move the Knicks up once again, keeping up with his trait of doing random stuff on a weekly basis, whether teams merit those moves or not.
Murray bumped New York up a couple of spots in his last PWs of the regular season, placing the Knicks on the inside looking out of the NBA’s top-10 entering the home stretch of games.
“The Week 1 Question: Is this team too top-heavy? The minutes police have been loud all season. Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart are Nos. 1 and 2 in total minutes played this season. OG Anunoby ranks ninth. Karl-Anthony Towns ranks 26th. And Jalen Brunson ranks 50th.
“Brunson’s injury allowed others to step up, though, and New York survived his absence by going 9-6. Brunson is back in time with him needing three more games to reach the 65-game award threshold.” — Law Murray
ESPN — No. 5 — New York Knicks (+6)
The ESPN panel went bananas and placed the Knicks where we all think they belong, but nobody outside NYK Nation is willing to accept—right inside the top 5.
With the regular season nearly over, the folks from the E decided to address the preseason expectations placed on each franchise to see whether they met, failed, or surpassed them.
“By winning at least 50 games for the second consecutive season and finishing near their preseason over/under win total of 53.5, New York has essentially met its preseason expectations to be one of the East’s best teams.
“But it’d also be fair to feel as if this new-look group hasn’t done enough against elite competition. The club’s 0-9 mark against Cleveland, Boston and Oklahoma City—the teams with the NBA’s three best records—raises questions about whether the Knicks can be competitive beyond the first round of the playoffs.” — Chris Herring
What are your thoughts on the ranks above? Where do you have the Knicks ranked after they split their first six games of the season? Drop your hot takes in the comments section below!