Going into the 2021 season, New York Knicks fans were bracing themselves for another season of long losing streaks and lottery picks. Fast forward 26 games and New York is now in a position to be a part of the play-in tournament for the playoffs. If the Knicks stay in this spot or ascend, they will be playing in their first playoff game since May 17th, 2013. Since then we’ve seen Carmelo Anthony leave the team via trade, not coming close to accomplishing anything with the team we had in mind. In addition, the Knicks have had countless lottery picks, drafting so many players that have underperformed, being unable to consistently perform at a high level under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden.
What are the New York Knicks’ realistic playoff expectations?
It’s very clear that the New York Knicks have not responded to the hopes of their fans as each season for the past 7 years has ended after the conclusion of the regular season. With that being said, should the orange and blue hopefuls keep their hopes high? Or should they prepare themselves for inevitable failure? Throughout the past decade through multiple front offices, Knicks fans were presented with multiple reasons to be ‘hopeful’ that turned out to be nothing special. I can safely say that regardless of the team’s talent, fans would love nothing more than to see their heroes on the national stage, playing in a playoff series. Here are some team qualities that will help determine the Knicks’ final standing come the end of the regular season.