Knicks Half Way Home

In the end, it wasn’t close. The New York Knicks, who needed fourth quarter comebacks in games one, two and four, left nothing to chance in game six. They dominated the Boston Celtics pretty much from the opening tip-off, en-route to a series-clinching 119-81 victory Friday night at Madison Square Garden. It was, by far, their most complete game in these playoffs.

Every starter was in double digits, with Josh Hart recording a triple double. Jalen Brunson led all Knicks with 23 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns scored 21 and grabbed a team-high twelve rebounds. The win catapulted New York into the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000; it was also the first time since 1999 that the Knicks clinched a best of seven series on their home court.

The off-season acquisitions of Mikal Bridges and Towns - often criticized during regular season - have given this franchise its best starting five since the Pat Riley / Jeff Van Gundy era.  If this is what Leon Rose envisioned over the summer when he gave up five first-round picks, Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, then he has been vindicated, at least for the moment.

But it was the return of Mitchell Robinson from a left ankle injury at the end of February that seems to have had the biggest impact on this team's fortunes. The 7-0 center has vastly improved the Knicks rim defense. Against the Celtics, New York was a plus 46 when Robinson was on the court versus a minus 43 when he was off. Imagine how many more regular season wins the Knicks might have had if Robinson had been healthy all year. Indeed, the best decision Rose appears to have made was not unloading him at the trade deadline for a depth scorer. Had he done so, the Knicks would probably be on the golf course right now.

I'd be lying if I said I saw this coming. My heart may have said Knicks in seven, but my head said Celtics in five. Given how many times my heart has been broken over the years, I had every reason to expect a quick and decisive loss for the men in orange and blue.

To quote a well-known scripture verse,  "O ye of little faith."

In my defense, though, I was hardly alone. Even an incurable optimist would've had a hard time believing the Knicks were capable of beating the Celtics in the playoffs, given they were 0-4 against them during the regular season, and only one of those losses was competitive. That most of the sports writers and talking heads had Boston winning in four or five games was less about an anti-New York bias than it was about an objective, sober analysis of where both teams were. The overwhelming view was that the Knicks were a very good team that was still a year or two away from challenging for the title.

But then a switch was thrown and logic went out the window. The fact is these are no longer the same Knicks who struggled during the regular season against the elite teams in the league. They have a swagger about them that is eerily familiar to those '90s teams. The resiliency that was missing most of the season, and which defined last year's team, is back with a vengeance. They believe in themselves, and they feel they are never out of a game, as evidenced by the fact that they've come-from-behind in six of their eight postseason wins.

And now they are eight wins away from their first NBA championship since 1973.

52 years! God, when you say it like that, it sounds like an eternity. That's because it is. Think about it: 90 percent of the fans who showed up outside the Garden to celebrate the Knicks win over the Celtics probably weren't alive in 1973. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if a third of them weren't around when they last went to the finals in '99. When I tell people I remember Clyde Frazier, Earl Monroe, Willis Reed and Dave DeBusschere, I'm not bragging; I'm just showing my gratitude for having had the opportunity to see such greatness in my lifetime.

And now all of us have the opportunity to see such greatness right before our very eyes. There is something special about this Tom Thibodeau-coached team; I can feel it. Every once in a while the basketball gods shower their favor upon a team. Don't get me wrong: I am not predicting a championship. Knowing my luck, that would be the kiss of death. What I am saying is that if the Knicks play the Indiana Pacers like they did the Celtics in game six, I like their chances. A lot.

This much is certain: the next time my head contradicts my heart, I'll tell it to go fuck itself!

Knicks Need To Wake Up!

It's generally accepted that when the Boston Celtics are fully healthy, they’re damn near impossible to defend against. With Jason Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis, they can spread the floor better than any team in the NBA. When you add the likely sixth man of the year award winner Payton Pritchard to the mix you can see why they won 61 games this season, and why they went 16-3 last season in the playoffs. Yes, they're that good.

But with Tatum out and Porzingis not remotely close to being himself, they have only two legit scoring threats on the court: Brown and White. In theory, this should make them easier to defend against, right? 

So much for theory. The Celtics, facing elimination, routed the Knicks Wednesday night 127-102 to force a game six Friday night at Madison Square Garden. Brown had 26 points and 12 assists, while White led all scorers with 34 points. 

Meanwhile, Jalen Brunson had his worst game as a Knick, picking up five personal fouls in the third quarter and fouling out in the fourth; OG Anunoby went 1-12 overall from the field; and Karl-Anthony Towns got into early foul trouble and ended up playing only 29 minutes in the game. The only bright spot was Mitchell Robinson, who actually went 6-6 from the free-throw line.

Frankly, I'm at a loss to explain what happened here. New York, with a chance to wrap up the series and advance to its first conference finals appearance in 25 years, had a horrific second half, getting outscored by the Celtics 68-43. Every Knick was a minus for the game. 

Surely they had to have known which two players on the Celtics were going to have to carry the load offensively. And yet on virtually every Boston possession, both Williams and White were so alone, they could've sent out for a pizza. Did the Knicks really believe the Celtics would just roll over and die? The total lack of urgency on their end was stunning to behold.

And now the Knicks, who haven't won a best of seven series on their own court since 1999, will have to close out the defending champs Friday night or face the very real prospect of being only the 14th team in NBA history to blow a series after leading 3-1. 

Don't kid yourself. While game six is not technically a must win for the Knicks, losing it would mean a game seven in Boston, where the Celtics, even without Tatum, would be the overwhelming favorites to move on.

So how do the Knicks keep that from happening?

It starts with defense. New York did a terrible job communicating as a team, especially in its own zone. The result was missed coverages that led to wide open three point attempts. That cannot continue in game six. The Knicks have to force Williams and White into contested shots; they have to be on them like white on rice. Waiting until they get the ball in their hands is too late.

Brunson and Towns have to be the best players on the court. While it's highly unlikely that Brunson will repeat his brutal game-five performance, he needs to be that clutch player who clinched the series against the Pistons and led his team to victory in game four of this series. As for Towns, he's been hot and cold in these playoffs. He needs to assert himself more in the paint and avoid early foul trouble. There's no way a third-string center should ever dominate someone with his ability.

Bring a sense of urgency for a full 48 minutes, not just the last twelve. The Knicks need to treat game six like it's game seven. From the opening tip off to the final buzzer, they need to outwork the Celtics, who will, once more, be looking to stay alive. That means they need to fight for every loose ball, avoid costly turnovers and get back on defense when the shot doesn't go in. Remember, Boston is still shorthanded. New York needs to exploit that to its advantage.

If the Knicks play their best basketball; if they play hard the entire game, they should prevail. If they don't; if they blow this series against the Celtics, they will have no one but themselves to blame. 

Knicks Making Believers Out of Non-Believers

After Saturday afternoon's rather underwhelming effort by the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, the prevailing sentiment by the "experts" was that even though the Boston Celtics still trailed 2-1, they had taken control of the series and were now favored to wrap it up in six.

There was only one small problem: the Knicks never got the memo. They came out Monday night with their best performance of the postseason, beating the Celtics 121-113 to take a 3-1 lead and a stranglehold on the series.

Indeed, except for the last minute and a half of the first quarter in which the Celtics hit four consecutive three-pointers to take a 39-28 lead, the Knicks were the better team on the court for most of the night. Unlike the first two games in Boston, the men in orange and blue did not wait for the fourth quarter to mount their comeback. They began it with 9:05 left in the third, trailing 72-58.

And just as he has done throughout these playoffs, Jalen Brunson led the way for his teammates. He scored 26 points in the second half, 18 in the third quarter. Overall he finished with 39 for the Knicks. But he was not the only hero for the home team. OG Anunoby (20), Mikal Bridges (23) and Karl-Anthony Towns (23) each answered the bell, as well. It was, by far, the most balanced scoring attack the Knicks have had in this series. New York outscored Boston 70-51 in the second half.

To paraphrase Jerry Garcia, what a long, strange series it's been. In each of the first four games, the Celtics have had a double-digit lead in the third quarter, and in three of those four games, the Knicks came from behind to win. And the culprit in each of those Boston losses was their poor shooting performance from three-point range.

In games one and two, the Celtics shot a collective 25-100 (25 percent) from beyond the arc; in game three, they were 20-40 (50 percent) from downtown; and in game four, they went 12-24 (50 percent) from three in the first half, but only 6-24 (25 percent) in the second half. 

Put succinctly, when the Celtics hit their threes, they win; when they don't, they lose. There's no Plan B. Boston's inability, or unwillingness, to make in-game adjustments has been its biggest problem in this series. In short, their arrogance has been their own worst enemy. And now the Knicks, who entered this series as heavy underdogs, and were 1-11 during the regular season against teams ahead of them in the standings, are one win away from their first conference finals appearance since 2000.

And without Jayson Tatum, who suffered a season-ending Achilles injury late in the fourth quarter, the chances of Boston mounting its own comeback and preventing that from happening is about as remote as a leopard changing its stripes. All season long, the Celtics have lived by the three and now they seem determined to die by it.

Which is just fine for a fanbase that has waited 52 years to celebrate a championship. And here's the best thing: should the Knicks and the Indiana Pacers advance - both teams lead their respective series 3-1 - New York would have the home court advantage. 

The lion's share of the credit for this metamorphosis goes to Tom Thibodeau. He has badly out-coached his counterpart, Joe Mazzulla in this series. He has made the necessary adjustments that have put the Knicks in position to capitalize on the Celtics shortcomings.

Case in point, the way he's handled Mitchell Robinson. The backup center is a plus 35 over the four games against Boston, but his liability at the free-throw line has been a big concern for the Knicks. However, rather than bench him, Thibs continues to play him, which has forced Mazzulla to foul him and, as a result, put the Celtics in the bonus earlier than he would prefer. Who'd have thunk that the Knicks of all teams would be winning the battle of coaching?

Bottom line: the Knicks are making believers out of non-believers; they are playing clutch basketball; their best players have been better than the Celtics best players; and they are almost halfway through this most improbable journey. 

A journey whose final destination has yet to be determined. 

Pride and Prejudice

In the days leading up to Super Bowl 25, Bill Belichick had a huge problem. He had to design a defense that could contend with the most prolific offense in football that season. The Buffalo Bills, led by Jim Kelly, steamrolled their way through the AFC playoffs. They put up 44 points against the Miami Dolphins and 51 against the Los Angeles Raiders. Kelly was a collective 36-62 for 639 yards in both games, with 5 touchdowns, 2 interceptions and a 126 passer rating. If he had that kind of success against the Giants, Big Blue would be in deep trouble.

The defense that Belichick finally came up with was the 2-3-6 defense. It consisted of two defensive linemen, three linebackers and six defensive backs. It had one mission: to stop, or at least curtail the Bills passing attack, which was lethal. What Belichick and head coach Bill Parcels were basically saying was this: we'll let you run the ball, but we're going to take away your ability to throw the deep pass. All Bills head coach Marv Levy would've had to do was run the ball more and the Bills might not have needed Scott Norwood's 47 yard field goal attempt to win the game.

But Levy wouldn't, or couldn't bring himself to adjust his game plan. The Bills got there on the strength of Kelly's arm and they weren't going to fundamentally change who they were. And while Thurman Thomas did get 135 yards, he only touched the ball 15 times in the game. By comparison, Kelly was 18-30 for 212 yards, zero touchdowns and a passer rating of 81.5. Meanwhile the Giants, with a balanced attack, ate up most of the clock and hung on to win what many consider to be the most exiting Super Bowl in NFL history.

The moral of the story is this: pride kills. Levy's arrogance cost his team a Super Bowl win. The failure to make adjustments in sports is the primary reason most teams lose. I say "most" because sometimes, no matter how solid your game plan is, the other team is just better. But that being said, the purpose for having a coach is to anticipate what could go wrong and prepare accordingly; it isn't simply to make out a lineup card.

In the series between the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks, the Celtics are a collective 25-100 (25 percent) from three-point range. They have lost the first two games by a grand total of four points. They have blown consecutive 20-point leads to a team that, going into the series, was a decided underdog. And while most analysts have focused on their poor shooting, the real culprit has been the Boston strategy. 

The fact is attempting 60 three-point shots in a game is insane. There's no excuse for it. But when you listen to the players and the head coach attempt to rationalize it by insisting that this is who they are and they're not going to change, it is eerily reminiscent of that Bills team that lost to the Giants in Super Bowl 25. Marv Levy and Joe Mazzulla might as well be distant relatives.

The worst-kept secret in the NBA is that the Knicks have a terrible perimeter defense. And going up against a Celtics team that led the league in three-point attempts, it was incumbent upon them to tighten it up. But for all the talk about the Knicks shortcomings, it is, ironically, the Celtics shortcomings that are coming home to roost in this series.

Put succinctly, they are a one-dimensional offense. The reliance on the three-point shot has been both the Celtics greatest asset and their biggest vulnerability. It allowed them to go 16-3 in last season's playoffs. But it also masked weaknesses within their roster which have now been exposed this postseason by a Knicks team that is as relentless as it is resilient. And like the compulsive gambler who, having lost a month's wages in Vegas and insists his luck will change sooner or later, the Celtics find themselves two losses away from sports bankruptcy.

The more I think about it, the more this Knicks team reminds me of that Giants team in 1990. They, too, were underdogs, but found a way to overcome the odds and win. Tom Thibodeau is no Bill Belichick, that's for sure. But like Belichick, who had Lawrence Taylor, Thibs does have an ace in the hole. Jalen Brunson is, without question, THE best player in these playoffs, and it isn't even close.

Spare me all the nonsense about how great Jayson Tatum is. What has he done with the game on the line in this series? Hell, he wasn't even the MVP in last year's finals. Call me old-fashioned, but I'll take the player who has more clutch-time points (41) than the Minnesota Timberwolves (34), Celtics (26) or Cleveland Cavaliers (25).

The amount of disrespect the Knicks in general and Brunson in particular have gotten borders on pathological. It's one thing when fans do it; that's why they're called fans. But when so-called "professionals" who are paid to be objective do it, that's another story. Whether it's an anti New York bias or just plain ignorance is irrelevant. The fact is there isn't a professional sports league in the country that wouldn't benefit financially from having a New York team in its championship round. Ask Major League Baseball how much better their ratings were having the Dodgers and Yankees play in the World Series. I can tell you the sponsors certainly didn't mind.

And now these same geniuses who said the Knicks would be lucky to win one game against the Celtics are now saying that they need to win game three in order to win the series. You literally can't make this shit up. Sometimes I wonder how they show themselves in public.

There's no conspiracy here. The reason the Knicks are ahead 2-0 in this series is because in the fourth quarter they have been the better team. Period. You don't need to be a rocket scientist or a basketball "expert" to figure that out. You just have to take off the blinders that have prevented you from seeing the truth.

The Boston Steal Party

"Against a very inexperienced Pistons team, the Knicks were able to mount multiple comebacks to win. I guarantee you that won't happen against the Celtics."

The genius who said those words was none other than yours truly. So much for my prognostication skills. It's a good thing I don't work for the Weather Channel.

All kidding aside, though, the Knicks were trailing 75-55 with 5:47 to go in the third quarter. That wasn't the Detroit Pistons out there on that court; it was the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics. One could be forgiven for thinking the game was, for all intents and purposes, over.

But then something unexpected happened. The Celtics suddenly went cold. The three-pointers they were hitting earlier in the game became bricks, and the Knicks, who couldn't punch their way out of a paper bag, began chipping away at the Boston lead. They went on a 20-9 run to close out the quarter down only 84-75.

And they didn't let up in the fourth quarter. New York outscored Boston 22-5 to take a 97-91 lead with 3:28 to go in regulation. The fans at TD Garden were stunned. To tell you the truth, so was I. Jalen Brunson continued his fourth-quarter dominance, scoring 11 points in just 8 minutes. In seven games this postseason, he has 77 fourth-quarter points in only 63 minutes of court time.

But the Celtics were hardly done; they went on a mini run of their own, outscoring the Knicks 9-3, to tie the score at 100 with 53 seconds to go. Both teams had opportunities to re-take the lead in the closing seconds, including Brunson, who missed a last-second layup that would've won it in regulation. 

In overtime, the Knicks took over. They outscored the Celtics 8-5, led by, of all people, Mikal Bridges, who played 51 out of a possible 53 minutes in the game. The man Leon Rose surrendered five first-round picks for last summer had arguably his best five minutes as a Knick. He had a three pointer, a blocked shot and two steals; the last one coming against Jaylen Brown with less than three seconds remaining to seal the deal for New York.

Brunson and Bridges weren't the only heroes last night. OG Anunoby and Josh Hart were equally impressive on both ends of the court. OG had 29 points in 46 minutes, while Hart contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds. And even though Towns had a rather pedestrian night offensively, he did have 13 boards.

It was an incredible comeback for the Knicks, their fourth in these playoffs. But as incredible as it was, there was an element of luck involved. For instance, for some reason that only he knows, Tom Thibodeau decided to put Mitchell Robinson in for Karl-Anthony Towns when the latter got into early foul trouble. It's well known that Robinson is not a very good free-throw shooter; during the regular season he shot only 68 percent from the free-throw line. The Celtics knew this and fouled him every chance they could to send him to free-throw line, where Robinson missed seven of 10 shots. Had the Knicks lost this game by a couple of points, Thibs would've had some serious 'splainin' to do at his post-game presser.

The other thing that helped the Knicks out was the poor shooting of the Celtics. In the game, Boston went 15-60 from three-point range (25 percent), while New York went 17-37 (45.9 percent). As good as the Knicks defense was in the second half - particularly in the fourth quarter - the fact is the Celtics missed several wide open shots, any one of which could've won the game for them. It's hard to imagine Boston being this inept going forward.

That being said, the Knicks earned this win, and with it the right to crow a bit. Nobody gave them a shot at beating Boston. And just to be clear, this series is far from over. All the Knicks did by winning game one was capture home court. The Celtics are more than capable of returning the favor by getting a split at Madison Square Garden. They did, after all, win 33 games on the road this season, six more than the Knicks won at home.

But for now, Knicks fans can sit back and enjoy the moment. Their team, which went a collective 0-8 against the Celtics and Cavaliers, now has a 1-0 lead against the former in the second round of the playoffs.

Knicks Playoff Preview (Round Two)

Having avoided the unthinkable - losing to the Detroit Pistons - the New York Knicks begin a best of "seven" series against the defending NBA champion Celtics tonight in Boston. I put the word seven in quotation marks because the Knicks went 0-4 against the Celtics during the regular season and three of the four losses weren't remotely close. The one competitive game was at the Garden in April, where the Knicks had a three-point lead with 11 seconds to go before Jayson Tatum drilled a three pointer to send it into overtime.

The last time these two teams met was in 2013. The Knicks were 54-28 that season; the Celtics were 41-41. Led by Carmelo Anthony, who averaged 29.2 points per game in the series, New York prevailed 4-2. But as the saying goes, that was then, this is now.

It pains me to say this, but this has the potential to be one of the ugliest and most lopsided series drubbings in Knicks playoff history. That's because the one thing New York has struggled with all-season long just happens to be Boston's number one strength. In their 31 losses this season, the Knicks allowed their opponents to shoot 43 percent from beyond the arc. The Celtics as a team average 48 three-point shot attempts per game. That's the basketball equivalent of lighting a cigarette while filling up your gas tank.

So, with that in mind, do the Knicks have a shot at beating the Celtics? And if not, can they at least avoid a sweep?

The answer to both questions comes down to three keys:

Karl-Anthony Towns: Leon Rose brought him to New York specifically to go up against Kristaps Porziņģis. This is his moment. He must rise to the occasion. No way this team can win with him scoring 10 points like he did twice against the Pistons. Among Knick starters, only Josh Hart has taken less three point shot attempts in these playoffs. That's inexcusable.

Perimeter defense: There's no other way around it. The Knicks must do a better job at defending from downtown or the Celtics will light them up like a Christmas tree. This will require Tom Thibodeau to do something he's not comfortable doing: adjusting his coaching style to match the opponent. If Thibs thinks he can beat the Celtics mano e mano, this will be a very short series. And by short, I mean don't bother booking a flight back to Boston for a game five.

Get off to good start: Against a very inexperienced Pistons team, the Knicks were able to mount multiple comebacks to win the series. I guarantee you that won't happen against the Celtics. In their first three meetings this season, the Knicks trailed Boston after the first quarter by 19, 11 and 19 respectively. All three were blowout losses. In their fourth meeting, they led Boston by three after one and six at the half. The Celtics eked out a narrow two-point OT win in that one. And just in case you were wondering, every Celtic starter except Jaylen Brown played at least 37 minutes in that game; Tatum led with 48 minutes. If the Knicks can avoid their typical slow starts they can make this a series. If they can't, it'll be a sweep.

Bottom line, even if all the above goes their way, the Knicks will still have a very difficult time beating a Celtics team that is deep, fast, explosive and well coached. I've been a Knicks fan since the glory days of Red Holzman. This is a good team with some very good players, and one generational talent. Had they played them last season in tact, who knows, maybe they would've beaten them. It's just hard for me to see that happening this time around.

My heart says Knicks in seven; my head says Celtics in five. 

I think my head may be right. 

Here are my predictions for the other second round matchups:

Eastern Conference:

Cleveland over Indiana in seven: The Pacers will hold their own against the Cavs, especially if Darius Garland is hobbled by that toe.

Western Conference:

Oklahoma City over Denver in six: SGA vs. the Joker. The winner will likely go on to the finals.

Minnesota over Golden State in six: In the last two postseasons the Ant-Man has eliminated the likes of Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic, LeBron James and Luka Doncic. Steph Curry will be the next to fall.

If the Knicks advance, I'll preview both conference finals. If they don't, my initial prediction for the finals stands: OKC should win the title.

Knicks Need To Close It Out

The good news for the New York Knicks is that they're up 3-1 on the Detroit Pistons. The bad news for the Knicks is that they could easily be down 3-1. 

In game one, the Knicks came from behind in the fourth quarter to win 123-112. In game two, the Pistons held off a Knicks rally to win 100-94. In game three, the Knicks had a 13 point lead at halftime and held on to win 118-116. And in game four, the Knicks were trailing by 11 with 8:35 to go in the fourth quarter and came back to win 94-93.

As you can see, every game has been hotly contested; a total of eight points separates the two teams. The Knicks have not been so much dominant in this series as they've been resilient. Their two best players - Karl-Anthiony Towns and Jalen Brunson - have been better than the Pistons two best players - Cade Cunningham and Tim Hardaway Jr. Brunson, in particular, has been almost otherworldly, averaging 33.3 points per game in the series, and 13.3 points in the fourth quarter, the most by any player in the NBA since 1997.

The Pistons can complain all they want about the no-call by Josh Hart against Hardaway Jr with 8 seconds to go in game four, the fact is they've gotten most of the no-calls in this series, including one by Tobias Harris against Hart under the basket three seconds before Hardaway's three point attempt. You live by the no-call, you die by the no-call, I say.

That being said, it would behoove the Knicks to close out this series tomorrow night at the Garden. No way they want to go back to Detroit for a game six. The Pistons, having lost two games in their building, would almost certainly force a game seven. And once you get to a game seven, it's anyone's series.

There's another reason for the Knicks to want to wrap up this series in five. The style of basketball the Pistons employ can be very taxing on opponents. I wrote about their size advantage in my preview. And with the Knicks not having much of a bench, sooner or later, it's going to take its toll on the starters. 

Brunson, in particular, could certainly use the rest. He twisted the same ankle he sprained a month ago in the third quarter of game four and had to leave to get it re-taped. He came back in the fourth quarter and managed to score 15 points. But make no mistake about it, the longer this series goes on, the more stress that ankle will get. If the Knicks hope to do anything against the Boston Celtics in the next round, they will need their captain as close to 100 percent as possible. 

Bottom line: the Knicks control their own destiny. The last thing they want to do is play with fire. 

Knicks At the Break

Going into the All-Star break, the New York Knicks record stands at 36-18. They are solidly in third place in the Eastern Conference, five and a half games ahead of the Indiana Pacers and two and a half games behind the Boston Celtics. Since November 15, they've gone 31-12, for a .721 winning percentage. Only the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Cleveland Cavaliers have a higher winning percentage over that span. Overall, this is the best start this franchise has had since the 1996-97 season when they went 39-15 over their first 54 games. They finished that season 57-25 and went to the ECF. This season, they are on pace to finish 55-27.

Objectively speaking, the Knicks are an outstanding team on the cusp of being elite. Their starting five is arguably the best in the NBA. I say arguably because, let's face it, when Kristaps Porziņģis is healthy, the Celtics starting five is better. Still, that's pretty damn impressive. Give Leon Rose props for putting this roster together over the last three years.

But for all the accolades the starters get - and deservedly so - it's the bench that remains this team's Achilles heal. Right now, Tom Thibodeau has maybe three players he can trust coming off the bench: Precious Achiuwa, Deuce McBride and Cam Payne. And with OG Anunoby missing the last five games due to an injured foot, Thibs was forced to start Achiuwa at the four. As a result, the Knicks starting five leads the league in minutes played per game, with Mikal Bridges (38.2) and Josh Hart (37.8) leading the way.

That might help explain why they ran out of gas against the Thunder in Oklahoma City in early January after leading for most of the game, or why they are 11-12 against teams that are .500 or better. And keep in mind, they still have three games against the Cavs, who are 20-6 against those very same teams. 

With the Knicks up against the second apron, Rose didn't have the cap space he needed to bring in reinforcements at the trade deadline. The return of Mitchell Robinson - now slated for late February - is pretty much it. The 7-0, 240 pound center should provide badly needed help for a team that is ranked near the bottom of the league in both rim and perimeter defense. But how much will Robinson be able to contribute to this team? Realistically, if Thibs can get 12-15 minutes per game out of him, that's still better than nothing.

Another question is whether the return of Robinson means Karl-Anthony Towns moves over to the four? When he was with the Minnesota Timberwolves last season, KAT played the four while Rudy Gobert played the five. That combo proved to be one of the most effective in the NBA, with the T-Wolves advancing to the Western Conference finals before eventually losing to the Dallas Mavericks. If Thibs elects to go that route, it means Anunoby switches back to the three where, frankly, he is more effective and Bridges becomes the two, with Hart coming off the bench. All of this, however, hinges on how durable Robinson is once he returns.

If I had to guess, I'd say Thibs will experiment with KAT at the four, but ultimately decide to keep him at the five. Doing that allows him to bring Robinson in off the bench where he will be the most useful. Besides, even when fully healthy, Robinson isn't much of a scorer, and against a team like the Celtics - their most likely opponent in the second round - the Knicks will need offensive production from their center position, and Towns is, without a doubt, the most prolific scoring center New York has had since Patrick Ewing.

To reiterate what I wrote above, and what I've been saying pretty much all season long, this is an outstanding team on the cusp of being elite. That Rose hasn't gotten consideration for Executive of the Year is nothing short of a crime, given the state this franchise was in prior to his arrival. There are still some holes left to fill, but I am confident they will be filled during the offseason.

Be patient, Knicks fans, the light you see at the end of the tunnel ISN'T a freight train. 

Knicks Hit a Road Block

When the New York Knicks beat the Utah Jazz at the Garden on New Year's Day, it was their 9th win in a row. They were 24-10 overall - 19-4 in their last 23 - and only a half game behind the Boston Celtics for 2nd place in the Eastern Conference. After a rough start, they were finally "rounding into shape," as I wrote at the end of December.

Well two days later they played the Thunder in Oklahoma City. For most of the game the Knicks were the better team. They led 66-54 at the half, 88-80 after three, and 97-92 with 6 minutes to go in the 4th. They were on the verge of a signature win that would catapult them into legit contender status. Even their most ardent skeptics would have to take them seriously now, right?

And then all of a sudden the wheels came off; the Knicks, who had their best quarter of the season in that first half, missed shot after shot, with their captain Jalen Brunson the prime culprit. OKC outscored New York 25-10 the rest of the way to win the game 117-107.

Though disappointed, the Knicks remained confident. It was just a bad ending to what was an otherwise strong game. They decided to put it behind them. Then came the game against the Bulls in Chicago. Like the game against the Thunder, the Knicks were ahead at the half. Only this time, the collapse didn't occur in the final six minutes; it happened much earlier. The Bulls ran roughshod over the men in orange and blue 41-17 in the 3rd quarter and won the game 139-126.

Words like "low energy" and "fatigue" were used to describe what the problem was. Not to worry, the Knicks reassured us, now that they were home, they would be fully rested and ready to go. Then the Orlando Magic - a team that more closely resembled a MASH unit than a basketball roster - came to town and beat them 103-94. The losing streak was now three. Alarm bells were starting to sound at the Garden.

What was happening? I mean losing to the best team in the Western Conference was understandable; even losing to the Bulls could be chalked up to a team simply running out of gas after a long road trip. But how do you explain losing to a team that was missing four starters from its lineup on your home court? You can't. 

When then Knicks defeated the lowly Toronto Raptors 112-98 two days later, the fears were temporarily allayed. Everyone was eagerly looking forward to the rematch with the Thunder at the Garden. New York had some unfinished business with OKC. This time, they would close the deal. 

But it was the Thunder that closed the deal, and decisively. They raced out to a 31-17 lead after one, and 70-43 lead after the first half, on their way to a 126-101 rout. It was the most humiliating loss of the season for the Knicks, and it was as baffling as it was thorough. 

All of a sudden this team that Kendrick Perkins thinks is the second best in the East looks very pedestrian. While they are still in third place in the conference, there are some major concerns that aren't going away.

Ian Begley shared some of them on Twitter after the game:

With tonight's blowout loss, Knicks fall to 0-5 vs. teams that entered play tonight w/a better overall record than their 25-14 mark. They are 9-11 vs teams that entered play tonight w/record of .500 or better (including 3-1 vs ORL). NYK is 1-6 vs top 8 teams in NBA standings.

While contenders don't always beat other contenders, they typically don't go 1-6 against them. For example, the game before they beat the Knicks, the Thunder lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers 129-122. The Cavs had a one-point lead going into the 4th quarter and actually increased it.

So what's wrong? In a nutshell, the Knicks are struggling on both ends of the court.

On defense, while they still have the league's 8th best points against average at 110.5, there have been huge lapses in their coverage on the court. Way too often, opponents are left wide open to hit three pointers, or convert back-door plays under the basket. Last season's team was relentless on defense. Opponents generally feared playing the Knicks because of the way they made them work for their baskets. This season, opponents rarely break a sweat looking for an open shot.

On offense, while there's no doubt that this starting five is better than last season's, there have been inconsistencies. Over the last 10 games, the Knicks are shooting only 29 percent from downtown. They normally shoot 38 percent from three. When the Knicks are winning, they excel at ball movement. They are 7th in the NBA in assists with 1060. However, when they lose, it's usually because they hold onto the ball too long, making it easy for opponents to double team them. 

The lack of depth on this roster is another cause for concern. Without Deuce McBride the last few games, and with Mitchell Robinson still several weeks away from returning, Tom Thibodeau only had two players he could count on coming off the bench: Cam Payne and Precious Achiuwa. At this point Jericho Sims is practically an afterthought. What this means is that not only are the starters playing more minutes than they should, when they are on the court they have to produce. There's no way the Knicks can win with Mikal Bridges scoring zero points and OG Anunoby scoring only four.

Look, the Knicks are not the only winning team that's struggling right now. The Boston Celtics are just 6-6 in their last 12 games. I'm sure there are concerns in Beantown, but I doubt they're panicking. And neither should the Knicks. There's plenty of time to correct what's wrong. If Leon Rose has proven anything it's that he won't hesitate to make changes if it will improve the roster. With the Knicks up against the second apron he will have to get creative though.

Bottom line, the Knicks aren't quite where they want to be, but they're getting there. Trust the process.

2024-25 Knicks Preview

Teacher: "What did you do over the summer, Leon?"

Leon Rose: "I transformed the New York Knicks from playoff contender to championship contender."

Teacher: "Class dismissed."

In what will go down as one of the most active offseasons in Knicks history, Rose didn't just tweak the roster, he remade it. 

To be clear, the consensus last season was that had Julius Randle been healthy, and had OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson not gotten injured in the second round, New York would've beaten the Indiana Pacers and advanced to the Eastern Conference finals to face the Boston Celtics. So, basically, Rose took a long, hard look at that roster and concluded that, even healthy, the Knicks weren't good enough to contend with the Celtics.

Whether you agree with that assessment or not, it's clear Rose wasn't about to take any chances. So he got out his chisel and went to work. The acquisitions of Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Townes over the summer have given Tom Thibodeau the most talented starting five he's ever had as Knicks head coach. And Rose managed to do all this while staying under the second apron.

Just compare this season's starting lineup with the one that could've started had it been healthy:

Brunson
Hart
Bridges
Anunoby
Townes

vs.

Brunson
DiVincenzo
Anunoby
Randle
Robinson

Of course those acquisitions came at a steep price. Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo were integral to the Knicks success last season, especially DiVo, whose last minute three pointer saved the Knicks from what surely would've been a game-two loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Who knows what would've happened in that series without him in the lineup. But once Isaiah Hartenstein signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Rose had no choice but to pull the trigger on Townes, especially with Mitchell Robinson not expected to return until January.

So, now for the sixty-four thousand dollar question. Is this Knicks team better than last year's Knicks team? In a word, yes. Not only are they better, but once this group of players gets fully acclimated to each other, Knicks fans are going to love what they see on the court. The reason I say this is because when you introduce two new players like Bridges and KAT, it'll take some time for them to mesh with Thib's system. I would not be surprised at all if they got off to a 5-5 start. But once they get rolling, this team will be near the top in the Eastern Conference standings.

Indeed, the real issue I see will be the bench where Deuce McBride will handle most of the load as the 6th man. With Precious Achiuwa out for the first 2-4 weeks with a hamstring injury, it'll be up to Thibs to find a suitable replacement. Once Robinson returns, the Knicks will be set at center.

Last year, I picked the Knicks to finish 5th in the East. They wound up finishing 2nd. This year, I'm going to be a bit more bullish. Assuming no major injuries to KAT or OG - always a risk given both players history - 55 wins is not an unreasonable expectation. 

Below are my predictions for each conference, as well as my predictions for which teams will make it to the conference finals and who will win it all.

Eastern Conference:

Celtics

Knicks

Bucks
Sixers
Pacers
Cavaliers
Magic
Heat

Western Conference:

Thunder
Timberwolves
Nuggets
Mavericks
Grizzlies
Suns
Kings
Lakers

Eastern Conference finals:
Knicks over the Celtics 4-3

Western Conference finals:
Thunder over the Timberwolves -4-3

NBA Finals:
Knicks over the Thunder 4-3

The Knicks Bold and Risky Move

Let's be honest: the moment Isaiah Hartenstein departed for Oklahoma City, Leon Rose knew he had to fill that vacancy. Even healthy, Mitchell Robinson is, at best, an adequate center. His excellent defense notwithstanding, nothing about his game would put the fear of God into an opponent. And in a conference that boasts the likes of Joel Embiid, Kristaps Porziņģis and Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Knicks needed to improve their front court if they were going to go from playoff team to title contender.

With Danny Ainge unwilling to trade Lauri Markkanen without getting a king's ransom in return, Rose turned his gaze elsewhere. It's no secret that Karl-Anthony Towns had been on the Knicks radar for some time. Last summer, there were rumors of a straight up swap involving Julius Randle. But then the rumors died down and Rose elected to address other needs on the roster. The additions of OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa definitely improved the team, but the result was still the same: another disappointing second round exit. The acquisition of Mikal Bridges over the summer addressed the backcourt, but there was still a hole at center. Rose's next move had to be bold, and he didn't disappoint.

The final details are still being worked out, but the principal players involved are Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Towns. Minnesota also receives a first round pick via Detroit. Losing DiVencenzo hurts, especially after the way he played against the Philadelphia 76ers in last year's playoffs. But let's face it: once the Knicks got Bridges, DiVo became a bench player. And while Randle has been the heart and soul of this team since his arrival, Towns is the more complete player. With Robinson not expected to return until late December, who would you rather see at the 5: Randle or Towns?

The significance of this move cannot be overstated. Too many times last season, the Knicks were reliant on Brunson to carry the load. He was double and sometimes triple-teamed. Having Bridges at the 2 will distribute some of that load. But having a bonafide scoring center will make this team very hard to defend. Think about it: the Knicks now have three players capable of putting up 25 plus points per game. Over the last two years, Rose has transformed this franchise into a legitimate contender.

Look, are there risks involved in making this trade? Of course there are. As in any team sport, chemistry is essential. Both Randle and DiVincenzo were well respected in the locker room; they will be missed. Towns will have to earn the respect of his teammates, as well as the trust of his coach. The fact that he once played for Tom Thibodeau should help with his transition into the lineup.

Then there's Towns' history of injuries. He missed 20 games last season and only played in 29 the season before. The Knicks are hoping he can return to the form he showed in 2021-22, where he appeared in 74 games, averaged 53 percent from the field, scored 24.6 points per game and was named All NBA 3rd Team.

And, finally, there's the money. With this trade, the Knicks payroll goes up to $188.5 million, just $400k shy of the second apron, which is the absolute max a team can be at under the CBA without incurring penalties. So if anybody gets hurt, Rose will have to get creative to find a replacement.

But all that aside, this a great day for Knicks fans. This is a roster that can go toe to toe with the elite teams in the NBA. They not only can give the reigning champ Boston Celtics a run for their money, as of now, you'd have to consider them the favorites in a best of seven series.

Until Robinson returns, the Knicks starting lineup will probably look like this: Brunson, Bridges, OG, Hart and KAT. If you're wondering why Hart would play the 4, it's because he did so on numerous occasions last season when Randle was out. As is typical with Thibs, it'll be a short bench.

Opening night is October 22 at Boston. Circle it on your calendar.

Introducing the Nova Knicks

Well, Leon Rose finally made his big move. On the eve of the NBA Draft, he sent five first round picks - four of them unprotected - a second round pick and Bojan Bogdanovic to the Brooklyn Nets for Mikal Bridges. The trade many people - myself included - speculated might happen, has finally become a reality. Turns out dogs and cats do sleep together.

Bridges joins fellow Villanova Wildcat alums Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo in what promises to be a very dynamic and diversified offense. Head coach Tom Thibodeau loves players that can play multiple positions and that can rotate in and out of the starting lineup. With Bridges and Hart, he has two players that can play the 2 or the 3. That means both players can be on the court along with Brunson. It also gives the Knicks four exceptionally strong wing men that can score and defend.

Forget the draft picks. The Knicks had eleven first rounders before the trade; now they have six. What was Rose supposed to do with them, hang them on his office wall and stare at them? The idea that there was some mythical trade out there that he was supposed to wait for is nice, but ultimately unsubstantiated. For all we know, this was the best deal he was going to get, and even that wouldn't have gotten done had Bridges not made it clear to the Nets that he wanted out of Brooklyn and his preference was the Knicks. The Monday-morning quarterback contingent needs to cool their jets.

The real problem for Rose isn't draft capital, it's cap space. Because of the way this trade went down, the Knicks had only $50 million left in hard cap space with which to compete their roster. With the addition of Bridges, they had just 10 players under contract for the 2024-25 season. The NBA minimum is 14. OG Anunoby, Isaiah Hartenstein and Precious Achiuwa were among those who still were unsigned, and all three had played pivotal roles in this team's success last season.

Well, strike one free agent off the list. Earlier today, the Knicks re-signed Anunoby to a 5-year, $212.5 million deal. While the average annual value is $42.5 million, the way the contract is structured, the cap hit for year one is only $36.7 million.

The significance of this signing cannot be overstated. Anunoby, who opted out of the last year of his contract, could easily have signed a max deal with another team. There was talk that the Philadelphia 76ers were very much interested in acquiring his services. Daryl Morey would've liked nothing better than to snatch him away from New York. You could just see the headlines in the Philly press.

Losing OG to the Sixers would've been devastating for this organization. It would've meant that the Knicks basically gave up RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley for what amounted to a rental. Now that won't happen. A crucial piece of this team has been locked up for the next five years. And if Rose can get creative over the next few days, he might be able to pull another rabbit or two out of his hat. 

Because New York owns the early-bird rights to Hartenstein, the most they can offer him is a four-year contract at $72.5 million. That comes out to an average of $18 million per year. A team like the Oklahoma City Thunder, who desperately need a physical center, could easily offer him five years at $25 million per. But like Anunoby, maybe I-Hart takes less to remain with the Knicks. Who knows? Perhaps the luster of chasing a championship is worth more to him than a few extra million bucks. Moving Mitchell Robinson would give the Knicks the cap space they need to get this done.

Yes, Leon Rose had himself a good day yesterday, and an even better one today. He not only landed his number one offseason target, he held on to one of his best players. But his work isn't done. In fact, you could say it's just beginning.

Leon Rose Crushes It

Two years ago, New York Rangers President and GM Chris Drury added four players at the trade deadline that played an integral role in helping them advance to the Eastern Conference finals. It was, by far, the most aggressive trade deadline the organization had had since 1994, when then GM Neil Smith went for it all and imported Stephane Matteau, Brian Noonan, Glenn Anderson and Craig MacTavish to propel the team to its first Stanley Cup championship since 1940.

Since he was named President of the New York Knicks in March of 2020, Leon Rose has methodically transformed one of the most dysfunctional franchises in the NBA into a bonafide contender. Below is list of some of the moves he's made since taking over the reigns.

2020: Hires Tom Thibodeau as head coach. Knicks go 41-31, qualifying for the postseason for the first time since 2013.

2022: Makes three trades at the NBA Draft, dealing the rights to his own draft picks, moving out a bad contract, accumulating over $16 million in cap space and acquiring 11 first-round picks. Signs Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $104 million contract later that summer.

2023: Acquires Josh Hart from the Portland Trail Blazers at the trade deadline for Cam Reddish and a first-round pick. Both Brunson and Hart proved to be catalysts for a Knicks team that beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs. Signs Donte DiVincenzo to a four-year, $50 million contract over the summer. Trades R.J. Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a second-round pick to the Toronto Raptors for OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn December 30.

2024: Acquires Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks from the Detroit Pistons at the trade deadline for Flynn, Quintin Grimes, Evan Fournier, Ryan Arcidiacono and two second-round picks. The remarkable thing about this trade, and the one with Toronto, is that Rose didn't have give up a single first-round pick, meaning he still has all eleven of his first-rounders in case he wants to pull off a blockbuster trade in the summer. No other team in the league has this kind of draft capital at its disposal.

Just think about it: when healthy - Mitchell Robinson (ankle), Julius Randle (shoulder) and Anunoby (elbow) are currently injured and are not expected back until sometime in March - the Knicks roster will look like this:

Starters:

PG: Jalen Brunson

SG: Donte Divincenzo

SF: OG Anunoby

PF: Julius Randle

C:   Mitchell Robinson

Bench:

PG: Alec Burks

SG: Josh Hart

SF: Bojan Bogdanovic

PF: Precious Achiuwa

C:   Isaiah Hartenstein

F:   Jericho Sims

G:  Deuce McBride

On paper, this is arguably the deepest team in the NBA, and that includes the Boston Celtics. How many teams do you suppose can boast they have a 20 point scorer coming off their bench? They are a legitimate threat to go to the Eastern Conference finals, perhaps even the NBA finals. And it's all due to the diligence of a man who, thankfully, stuck to his guns and now stands to be rewarded for his patience.

It's been a very long time since the words competence and contender were associated with the New York Knicks. Usually, laughingstock and disappointment are the words most associated with them. Even now, I'm cautiously optimistic. What can I say? It's the cynic in me.

1973 was the last time this fanbase had something to celebrate. That was 51 years ago.

51 years is long enough!