With the holiday season upon us, the best we can do is hope to receive the presents we most want from the New York Knicks.
The New York Knicks have a much better record than expected and are sitting at 17-15 going into their Christmas Day matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers (14-18). Many experts picked this team to be one of the five worst teams in the NBA.
While a postseason birth is far from guaranteed, it’s obvious this team has talented pieces. The Knicks would be the No. 8 seed if the playoffs were to start today.
The Boston Celtics would most likely sweep them, but making the playoffs for the first time since 2012-13 would be a huge step forward.
Breaking a four-year playoff drought and establishing a winning culture could be just as valuable, if not more so, as getting a top draft pick after this season.
Best case scenario, the Knicks are the No. 5 or No. 6 seed and manage to win a playoff series. This success would solidify them as a quality team and a potential free agent location. No star player wants to join a rebuilding team or a team that has no future.
There’s a reason why teams like the Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns, and Brooklyn Nets have a hard time attracting free agents. A losing culture makes it hard to sell a team to a free agent.
That’s why Scott Perry wants to establish a winning culture instead of tanking for a high draft pick.
With all that being said, let’s take a look at our Knicks’ holiday wishlist and establish what this team should accomplish the rest of the season.