Daily Knicks
Fansided

NY Knicks: Previewing The Upcoming Slate of Games

By Toby Jaffe

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 27: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks in action against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on December 27, 2020 in New York City. New York Knicks defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 130-110. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 27: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks in action against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on December 27, 2020 in New York City. New York Knicks defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 130-110. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 4
Next
NY Knicks
RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, NY Knicks.. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /

The first half of the 2020-2021 season surpassed just about every NY Knicks fan’s wildest expectations. After seven years of futility and dread, the orange and blue appear to possibly be on the verge of their first playoff appearance since 2013.

The Knicks enter the second half of the season in the fifth slot in the Eastern Conference. The team’s first-half successes were well-publicized. Tom Thibodeau got the team playing sound, defensive ball; Julius Randle enjoyed a breakout and Immanuel Quickley emerged as the steal of the 2020 draft.

There is every reason to believe that the Knicks have got things going in a promising direction, and may very well make the playoffs. This team plays hard and Thibodeau has a long track record of success going back over a decade. There remain no guarantees of a postseason appearance, though, given some expected regression and the extremely jumbled nature of the Eastern Conference standings (the Knicks are only 4.5 games ahead of the 11th spot).

Whether or not a playoff berth is in the cards will become clearer over the next month or so. Over the next week and a half alone, the Knicks will face off with the Nets, Sixers, and Bucks twice. The rest of the season brings more matchups with the Sixers and Nets as well as games against the Lakers (x2), Suns (x2), Celtics (x2), Raptors (x2), Nuggets, and Clippers.

Gulp.

The second-half slate will be challenging and will require an even higher level of play from the Knicks. Failing that, it will provide us with a good sense of where this group of players, coaching staff, and franchise is at. Who will rise to the challenge as the lights get brighter? Who can be trusted? Where does the team need to make moves during the trade deadline or the 2021 offseason?

For a rebuilding franchise like the Knicks, clarity in regards to vision can be as useful as winning. The hope, of course, is that the second half of the season will provide both.

With this in mind, it is worth previewing the upcoming matchups against three Eastern Conference juggernauts; matchups that will all take place over the next week and a half.

Home/Knicks News