While everyone's busy laying out their cases for why the Celtics, Pistons, and Cavaliers are all capable of crushing the title-round hopes of this year's New York Knicks team, Jose Alvarado revealed who the biggest threat to their playoff dreams actually is.
During a shootaround media session Monday morning, the point guard said that, despite their inconsistencies, the Knicks should still be widely regarded as a championship-caliber club, saying "We can get to that level" so long as they find a way to remain consistent and fully locked in.
At the end of the day, Alvarado seems to believe that the one team that could completely derail their postseason plans is, in fact, themselves, as he noted that "What really is in our way is ourselves."
"We’re really good. We just need to lock in on the details and stay like that," Alvarado said. "We just got to stay consistent and confident in who we are."
Recent history suggests Knicks have been their own worst enemy
The Knicks have been on the outside looking in on representing the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals for the last three seasons.
Sadly, their shortcomings have largely been the result of their own follies.
From blowing a 2-0 lead in the 2024 semifinals to letting up a truly debilitating, last-second loss to kick off last year's conference finals and completely giving up the psychological edge in the series right out of the gates, the Knicks have been prone to shooting themselves in the foot.
Now, here in what is literally being regarded as a championship round-or-bust campaign by owner James Dolan, we find this same team showing signs of once again being susceptible to falling on its own sword.
Be it due to Karl-Anthony Towns' lack of understanding of Mike Brown's scheme, their core failing to mesh on a consistent basis, or a somewhat unpredictable rotation, the Knicks still find themselves trying to figure things out with less than a week remaining until their April 12 season finale.
At 50-28, New York currently resides in the third seed out East with the possibility of even climbing above Boston for number two in the conference, and boasts the seventh-best odds of taking home this year's Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Yet, despite all of this, it's still hard to fully trust that this team has the capability of meeting their expectations.
Truth be told, with two All-NBA players in Jalen Brunson and Towns leading the charge, along with two of the best three-and-D wings in OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, and the Swiss Army Knife talents of Josh Hart serving as their supporting cast, it's quite clear that this Knicks team has the pieces to achieve great things come playoff time.
Of course, as Alvarado put it, it's on them to find a way to make it all work.