New York Knicks: Five burning questions for the 2018-19 season
1. Is this a postseason team?
The New York Knicks have not made the postseason since 2012-13, when Carmelo Anthony, an ailing Amar’e Stoudemire and a soon-to-be-retired Jason Kidd were around. 2018-19’s group is hardly that, especially without Kristaps Porzingis, but is there hope for a postseason appearance?
After LeBron James’ departure to the Los Angeles Lakers, it opened an avenue for not only a new team to make the NBA Finals, but a fresh group to enter the playoff picture. James’ team made it past the regular season from 2004-18.
That doesn’t mean the Eastern Conference’s perception has changed, because it’s still multiple notches below the West. Though, it creates a fluctuant picture at the bottom of the former’s eight teams to send to the playoffs.
2017-18 didn’t see a sub-.500 team make the playoffs, but with the Washington Wizards’ 43 wins, it was close. Six of the other seven teams will likely find their way above .500, except for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who could be New York’s gift past Game No. 82.
However, this is a team that needs Porzingis back for half the season to even approach a playoff hope. Unless they find unforeseen production increases from Hardaway Jr., Kanter and the rookies, it will still be hard to get past a Cavaliers team with some talent, Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Hornets, the Blake Griffin-Andre Drummond duo in Detroit and a rising Bulls squad.
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Will the Knicks find their way past these teams and sneak into the postseason? The odds are against them, but if the stars perfectly align from start to finish, they have a chance, even if it’s minuscule