Although it feels like the 2022-23 season started just yesterday, the New York Knicks are in the midst of the All-Star break. Julius Randle will represent New York tonight in the All-Star Game at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City. The Knicks will return to action on Friday, Feb. 24 against the Wizards.
New York entered the break on a three-game winning streak with victories over Utah, Brooklyn, and Atlanta. The team was expected to make a series of moves leading up to the trade deadline, but instead, the Knicks made one trade that involved sending Cam Reddish to the Trail Blazers for Josh Hart. He’s played in only three games for New York, but Hart’s proven to be a key addition to the roster.
Sitting No. 6 in the East, the Knicks appear to be on the up. With 22 games left to play, New York could finish in the top six, good enough to secure a playoff berth after missing the play-in tournament last season. Fans have a lot to be excited about.
There are still a few days left until the Knicks will take the court again, so let’s take a look at three questions that will be answered after the team returns from the break.
3 Knicks questions that will be answered after All-Star break
3: How good are the Knicks, really?
New York’s win over Atlanta pushed Miami out of the No. 6 spot in the East. If the Knicks can manage to finish the season in the top six, they’ll automatically secure a spot in the playoffs without having to go through the play-in tournament.
After not trading for Donovan Mitchell over the offseason, many suspected that the Knicks would either be a play-in team or finish outside of the top 10 in the East. Jalen Brunson’s four-year contract in free agency was thought to be an overpay, but that hasn’t been the case. He’s been consistently great for New York, which is something that the team has missed at the point guard position for decades.
Julius Randle has rebounded from a disappointing 2021-22 season back to his All-Star form. He’s having a better year than he did back in 2020-21 when he helped to guide the Knicks to a No. 4 finish in the East.
New York is starting to play its best basketball of the year at the right time. The season is far from over, but if the Knicks can continue to get it done on both ends of the floor, playoff basketball should make its return to MSG. If that happens, don’t be surprised if this team advances past the first round. These Knicks are different.