One of the strongest indicators of a true title contender over the years has always been point differential in the regular season. So far this year, the New York Knicks have proven that they fit the bill of a championship-level team with their Eastern Conference-leading +8.7-point differential.
As of Monday afternoon, the Knicks held the fourth-highest point differential in the NBA. That's an excellent indicator of how viable this team will be in a postseason setting. Over the course of the last 40 seasons, nearly every team that went on to win a championship in June ranked in the top five for point differential during the regular season.
Since 1980, the average champion has ranked third among all teams in the association in this crucial category, and most have registered a differential greater than +5.0 per 100 possessions. That says a lot about how this measurement of success correlates with going deep in the postseason. What point differential ultimately measures is not just winning or losing, but game control. Teams that register high in this category dominate possessions, often win comfortably, and don't have to rely on executing down the stretch of close games very often.
The Knicks are an extremely complete team
Last season, the Oklahoma City Thunder were the team that dominated in terms of point differential all season, and it was no surprise that they went on to take home the Larry O'Brien as well. What point differential ultimately encapsulates is being able to blow teams out, consistency in overall play, and depth of your roster. All these things separate the strong regular season teams from the ones that can realistically contend for a title.
It is New York's ability to win by wide margins that shows they're not just scraping by to earn their strong record to begin this season. The Knicks are dictating the flow of the game and imposing their style of play on their opponents. They're locking opponents down and allowing the sixth-fewest points per game as of this writing, on top of registering the top offensive efficiency mark. That speaks to how they're controlling things at both ends right now.
New York's depth and continuity from last season are paying off. This time last year, they were actively still trying to incorporate Karl-Anthony Towns into the rotation. Now, they're reaping the benefits of the chemistry and discipline they're worked so hard to achieve. It should be obvious by now that the Knicks are one of the most complete teams in the league, and one of its most obvious championship contenders.