The New York Knicks are in the midst of enjoying their All-Star break. Julius Randle, Quentin Grimes, and Jericho Sims represented the Knicks at All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City while the other players got a jump start on enjoying some sunshine.
New York entered the break with a three-game win streak with the team’s most recent win coming in Atlanta on Wednesday. The Hawks had no answer for the Knicks, who cruised to a 122-101 victory in a game where Trae Young and Dejounte Murray combined for only 27 points.
The win moved the Knicks up in the Eastern Conference to the No. 6 spot, meaning that if the season ended today, New York would secure a playoff berth. Looking ahead, though, the team has a tough schedule. However, the Knicks have proven that they’re not a squad that should be overlooked, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they were able to finish in the top six.
Predicting where Knicks will finish in Eastern Conference standings at end of 2022-23 season
Let’s take a look at New York’s final 22 games of the season and predict whether the Knicks will win or lose each game.
- Feb. 24 at Washington W
- Feb. 25 vs. New Orleans W
- Feb. 27 vs. Boston L
- Mar. 1 vs. Brooklyn W
- Mar. 3 at Miami L
- Mar. 5 at Boston L
- Mar. 7 vs. Charlotte W
- Mar. 9 at Sacramento L
- Mar. 11 at Clippers W
- Mar. 12 at Lakers W
- Mar. 14 at Portland W
- Mar. 18 vs. Denver L
- Mar. 20 vs. Minnesota W
- Mar. 22 at Miami W
- Mar. 23 at Orlando W
- Mar. 27 vs. Houston W
- Mar. 29 vs. Miami L
- Mar. 31 at Cleveland L
- Apr. 2 vs. Washington W
- Apr. 5 at Indiana W
- Apr. 7 at New Orleans W
- Apr. 9 vs. Indiana W
Based on those predictions, New York will win 15 of its final 22 games of the season en route to a 48-34 record. That seems to be a reasonable number given how the Knicks have been playing as of late and the fact that Mitchell Robinson will be returning sometime after the break.
New York missed the play-in tournament last season after finishing No. 11 in the East with a 37-45 record. At the end of the 2022-23 season, I’m predicting that the Knicks will finish No. 5 in the rankings. That may sound bold, but the Nets currently are No. 5 and although they are still a solid team after losing both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, New York should surpass Brooklyn in the standings.
If things go poorly to close out the season, the Knicks should still be able to finish in the top 10 to secure a spot in the play-in tournament. However, this team has come together at the right time so it wouldn’t be surprising for them to surpass the play-in tournament altogether.
There’s nothing like the playoffs at MSG. Let’s finish the season strong, Knicks.
Knicks News: Could Mitchell Robinson return after All-Star break?
The New York Knicks have been without their starting center since Jan. 18. When is Mitchell Robinson going to return to the court?