If you look anywhere that covers basketball, from social media to NBA media to sports talk shows, the sky is falling for the New York Knicks. Yes, they are 34-18 with a +5.9 net rating, both ranking fifth in the league. Yes, they’ve won seven of nine against a difficult recent schedule in convincing fashion. Unfortunately, none of that matters for a team with championship aspirations.
What’s important is how you matchup with the top contenders, and New York has struggled mightily in those contests. The Knicks are 0-5 in their five games against the league’s top three teams and have looked outmatched badly at times. However, there is needed context to these embarrassing losses.
Knicks Struggles Against Top 3 Teams Seem Worse Than They Are
The Knicks have lost to Boston twice, Oklahoma City twice, and Cleveland once. Four of those five defeats came by double digits, and NY looked completely outmatched by the NBA’s elite. Both losses to the defending champion Celtics were never a contest, as they fell by 27 and 23 points, respectively. On its face, their 0-5 record against the clear top-three teams proves the Knicks aren’t on the level they need to be to reach their ultimate goal. Tom Thibodeau’s group likely needs to beat both Boston and Cleveland to reach the Finals, where they could meet OKC, the favorite in the West.
Contextualizing the Losses
NY’s five games against the NBA’s best came on 10/22, 10/28, 1/3, 1/10, and 2/8. Their first loss to Boston occurred on Opening Day, on a night when the Celtics unveiled their league-best 18th championship banner. It was also the first Knick game for both Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, the latter being acquired just before training camp. Boston played spectacularly, as defending champions often do on ring night, hitting 29 of 61 threes. There’s little to even take away from that game, although the Knicks did look terrible to kick off the campaign.
New York’s only loss to Cleveland came six days later in the third game of the season. The Cavaliers came flying out of the gate to start the year, winning their first 15 contests. With that said, NY still had a 13-point lead late in the third quarter before crumbling down the stretch. While a tough loss, it’s still difficult to come to any conclusions from a blown lead in the first week against the hottest team in the league.
The Knicks’ first loss to Oklahoma City was very similar to their Cleveland defeat. New York controlled the entire game and held a 10-point advantage with a minute left in the third. With the Knicks coming off nine straight wins, this seemed destined to be a statement win. Unfortunately, OKC dominated the fourth quarter 37-19 with a crazy Aaron Wiggins flurry and lockdown defense. This loss exposed some flaws in the roster, such as a lack of bench depth and Towns/Jalen Brunson defense. However, while concerning, blowing two double-digit leads and losing on Boston’s ring night wasn’t the end of the world.
A week later, OKC walked into Madison Square Garden. What could’ve been sweet revenge for New York turned into another embarrassing blowout where the Thunder’s depth outclassed the Knicks’ bench. This was the first loss that was truly worrying, as it looked like the team simply couldn’t compete with a ten-man rotation as good as OKC’s.
Finally, there was last Saturday against the Celtics. The Knicks did cut Boston’s lead to three midway through the third but were quickly down by 20 again. While the defending champs looked several tiers above NY, it’s important to note that OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson missed the game. They’ll have no chance if they’re missing their two defensive anchors, especially against Boston’s wings. However, it’s difficult to make excuses, because the Celtics were missing Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis.
There is Reason for Concern, but Also Hope
There are real reasons why the team has looked so bad against the top-three squads. Two were in the first week, there were two double-digit blown leads, and Robinson played in none of the games. While these losses did expose flaws in the roster that could ultimately doom them, there’s also reason to be optimistic. New York has beaten Denver, Memphis, and Houston in the last two weeks, and has shown signs of defensive improvement. Once Anunoby and Robinson return after the All-Star Break, Thibs will finally have his full rotation to deploy. The Knicks are not in the elite class yet, but they still have an opportunity to change that.
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