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.
The Knicks have struggled to closeout a few close games
Being 11-15 is a massive step up from the last few seasons without a doubt. However, it can’t be left unnoticed that the Knicks have lost many winnable games due to poor late-stage play, and in order to be a playoff team, those follies need to be reduced. In their last game against the Heat, which they lost by just two points, New York was outscored by eight points in the 4th quarter and scored a total of six points in the last six minutes of the game. This has been a constant kryptonite for a young, energetic Knicks team who somehow seems to manage to be in every game they play regardless of the opponent.
In order to fix this, the Knicks need to find some players to be part of a reliable unit for them in the heat of the moment. While I can see Derrick Rose being part of that, I can’t confidently put my finger on anyone else as no single Knicks player has really had too many clutch moments yet this year. The crazy thing is, this problem isn’t specifically attached solely to 2021. For many seasons the Knicks have been defined as a team who doesn’t finish close games; and this year, it seemingly matters more than ever. As of February 11th, only 5 games separate the 13th seed and the 3rd seed in the East. As long as the teams are in a cluster, every game is going to matter more than ever and the Knicks really need to learn how to play their best basketball when it matters most.
Julius Randle is leading the Knicks to the promised land
During the offseason, I would say I came across four trade scenarios a day for Julius Randle. Fans and spectators had written him off after an underwhelming 2019-2020 season and it was assumed that he was going to be shipped for picks and prospects. After being a Los Angeles Laker for the first four years of his career and a New Orleans Pelican for the fifth, Randle was signed by New York in hopes that he’d become the new face of the franchise, at least temporarily. Unfortunately, he did not live up to those lofty expectations and people were, as I said earlier, ready to write him off.
Despite the constant hate and shade, Randle took 2021 by storm and is currently averaging 22.3 points per game along with 10.9 rebounds and 5.8 assists. These stats provide Julius with more than a strong case to make the all-star team this year and he’s truly emerged as the leader of the Knicks this season. If someone asked what’s so different now, I’d have to say that it’s because he’s gotten used to his role and that he’s playing under one of the most established and elite coaches in the NBA. After a year full of jitters and inconsistent play, Randle has clearly fine-tuned his game and even has the rookies of the team raving about him. If the Knicks want to establish a playoff position, they’re going to need Randle to continue his strong play and serve as fuel for the young neophytes on the roster.
The Knicks need RJ Barrett to be more consistent on offense
I can speak for a lot of Knick fans when I say every game is a mystery when it comes to RJ Barrett’s effectiveness. One night RJ Barrett drops 28 on the Golden State Warriors and has Steph Curry looking up at the ceiling, trying to figure out what the heck just happened. The very next night, he’ll put up just three points in 19 minutes of play and have ultimately zero impact on the game whatsoever.
I understand that Barrett is still very young and of course has areas of his game that need time to grow, but RJ’s gameplay is what will probably determine how good of a team New York really is. We can’t compare Barrett to guys like Kevin Knox and Frank Ntilikina who were drafted as risky, high-upside players to begin with. The expectations were that the former Duke Blue Devil product would make an immediate impact from game one and be the centerpiece of the Knicks’ rebuild. The orange and blue need him to provide constant scoring while making his teammates better on a nightly basis. Meanwhile, we still talk about how RJ is just “a jump shot away” from being the superstar we need him to be. Will he step up and be great or are we still going to be asking questions going into 2022. Hopefully, these questions are answered before it’s time for the Knicks to suit up in the post-season.
There are a lot of ‘what ifs’ when it comes to how this season is going to unfold for the New York Knicks. After the final buzzer sounds in game 72, we are truly going to know the current identity of this team. Until then, I couldn’t tell you what is going to happen.