New York Knicks: Five predictions for second half of 2018-19
Five predictions for the New York Knicks in the second half of the 2018-19 season.
With Tuesday’s loss to the Golden State Warriors, the New York Knicks officially reached their halfway point of the 2018-19. At 10-31, they have the NBA’s third-worst record behind the Phoenix Suns and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
41 games remain, lasting through the middle of April, however, so the standings will change. The players are, of course, at the forefront.
From Enes Kanter‘s unhappiness to Kevin Knox‘s emergence, the Knicks’ first half was interesting. They even had the emergence of Allonzo Trier who went undrafted last June. He signed a two-year contract, after only taking a two-way deal in the summer.
These were just some of the Knicks’ events, but what will follow up in the other 41 games? Let’s look at a handful of predictions for the rest of the season:
5. Knicks only win 10 games
It’s safe to say the New York Knicks will not make the playoffs, barring a miraculous run to close the season where they win 35 games. Even that only places 45-38, moving into the No. 6 or 7 seed in the Eastern Conference.
That’s a situation to let play out in NBA 2K19. Realistically, if the Knicks continue to trend this way, they are in for maybe a similar or identical win total as the first half of the season, projecting them at 20-62 to close the season.
Is that enough to capture the top lottery odds in May? Maybe so, but more on that soon, although that will place them in at least the top three, given how weak the bottom of the NBA is, with up to five teams “jockeying” for position.
The Knicks don’t have the experienced players or defensive acumen to win more than 10-to-15 games. They did embark on a three-game winning streak in November, but that’s an anomaly at this point. Otherwise, most competitive teams have provided hardships for New York, and they struggled against the bad teams, including a blowout loss to the Phoenix Suns at home.
Barring a sudden change in play from not one, but multiple players on the roster, the Knicks are in for a sluggish second half.