The New York Knicks are no more than four wins away from guaranteeing their place in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. It's a magic number that's more than manageable, as New York is 43-26 and has 13 games left on the schedule—meaning they could go 4-9 and still avoid the Play-In Tournament.
Unfortunately, between the injury to Jalen Brunson and the team's general inconsistency without him, the Knicks' firm grip on the No. 3 seed is quickly loosening.
New York is still 3.0 games ahead of the Indiana Pacers, but it's 3-6 over its past nine outings. The most recent loss was the most difficult to stomach, as the Knicks fell 115-98 to the 18-51 Charlotte Hornets in a lifeless display.
According to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, Knicks guard Miles McBride explained what was missing against the Hornets: A sense of urgency to prepare for the playoffs.
“These are some of the more important days,” New York guard Miles McBride said. “If you played in the playoffs before, these are the times where guys are trying to tune up even more and these games become even more important, whether you’re trying to get into the playoffs or trying to get a better seeding. These are games where I feel like guys are trying to tune up and get ready, and I don’t feel like we showed that tonight.”
It's difficult to evaluate the Knicks without Brunson, but the process of preparing for the playoffs isn't necessarily dependent on the superstar.
Miles McBride calls Knicks out with playoffs approaching
McBride calling the Knicks out is a positive sign, as the team simply can't justify its quality against Charlotte. Playing without Brunson has been challenging, but allowing the opposition to shoot 15-of-32 from beyond the arc has little to do with his absence.
Instead, it speaks to the general lack of assertiveness and confidence that the Knicks seem to be playing with in recent weeks.
Perhaps it's much ado about nothing, and Brunson's eventual return will immediately right the ship. With just 13 games remaining until the playoffs begin, however, it's imperative that New York reroutes its momentum while there's still time to do so.
Even if they manage to hold on to the No. 3 seed, their current matchup would be with Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons—a team that's won two in a row against the Knicks.
Rather than stumbling into the playoffs and hoping to put it all together once the games begin, the Knicks must find ways to win without Brunson. That starts with energy and attention to detail on defense, which the current team has the personnel to achieve.
It certainly doesn't hurt that Mikal Bridges has taken a significant step forward on offense, thriving as both a scorer and playmaker with Brunson sidelined.
The burden falls on the team at large, however, including All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns. The players need to come together and play as one, compensating for Brunson's absence by revealing the strength of the sum of the parts.
The playoffs may border on guaranteed for the Knicks at the moment, but they need to find a way to build positive momentum to actually win and advance.