Over the last last twenty-two years that's been pretty much the story. One woeful season after another. With a couple of notable exceptions, there hasn't been much for Knicks fans to celebrate. There was the 2012-13 season in which they beat the Boston Celtics in the first round before losing to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals; and there was the 2020-21 season in which they lost to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round. That's pretty much it for the highlight reel.
Then something incredible began to happen. Since that loss to the Mavericks, the Knicks have gone 29-14. With Sunday night's win over the Celtics in Boston, they are now 39-27, a game out of fourth place in the Eastern Conference. They have won nine in a row: the second time this season they have put together win streaks of eight or more games. The last time a Knicks team accomplished that feat was during the 1972-73 season. They have the second-best road record and the 7th best point differential in the NBA. Since January, both the Knicks and Celtics have identical 19-9 records.
Something special is happening at the Garden, and for the first time in a very long time it doesn't involve the hockey team. These Knicks aren't just for real, they're starting to turn some heads, which given how many stomachs they've tuned over the last two decades I guess is only fair.
They're 3-1 against the Celtics; 2-2 against the Sixers; 2-0 against the Heat; and 2-1 against their likely first-round opponent, the Cavaliers. They've proven they can beat anyone in the league, and while it may be a bit premature to start referring to them as a contender, one thing is certain: whoever ends up playing them in the postseason will have one helluva battle on their hands.
The credit goes to Team President Leon Rose and G.M. Scott Perry. Their decision to sign Jalen Brunson over the summer has turned out to be the most consequential signing this franchise has made since Amare Stoudemire in 2010. Brunson has finally given this team what it has lacked since the days of Latrell Sprewell: someone capable of ball distribution. For the last couple of seasons that duty has fallen to Julius Randle. While a gifted - if somewhat inconsistent - scorer, bringing the ball up court was never Randle's forte. With Brunson as a legitimate point guard, the Knicks offense finally looks cohesive.
The addition of Josh Hart at the trade deadline has given coach Tom Thibodeau much needed depth. Indeed, with Hart, Immanuel Quickley, Obi Toppin and Isaiah Hartenstein, the Knicks have one of the deepest benches in the league. Quickley scored a season high 38 points against the Celts on Sunday standing in for the injured Brunson.
It's been fifty years since the Knicks last won a championship. That team was coached by the great Red Holzman, and it had Walt "Clyde" Frazier and Earl "the Pearl" Monroe in the backcourt, Willis Reed at center, Bill Bradley at small forward and Dave DeBusschere at power forward. By all accounts, it was the hardest working team of its day. Every time I see this Thibodeau-coached team take the court, it reminds me of that great Knicks team. Don't get me wrong: I'm not saying Jalen Brunson is Clyde Frazier, and Mitchell Robinson sure as shit ain't no Willis Reed. But the way these players bust their asses night in and night out is a throw back to a time when perspiration meant something besides BO.
Can they win it all? Probably not. They're still an elite player away. But like I wrote above, I'd hate to be the team that has to show them the door.
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