Midseason Checkup: Knicks weigh pros and cons in race for Eastern crown
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NEW YORK — One week after team owner James Dolan pounded a radio studio desk and declared, “We should win the Finals,” the New York Knicks sit at the season’s midpoint trying to prove him right. The club is second in the Eastern Conference behind the Detroit Pistons, but a 7-7 record and the league’s 29th-ranked defense since winning the inaugural NBA Cup have raised fresh doubts about a June breakthrough.
Why New York could reach the Finals
Continuity and experience
New York kept last season’s core intact, opting against a blockbuster pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo and instead replacing Tom Thibodeau with two-time Coach of the Year Mike Brown. Counting 31 playoff games over the past two seasons—second only to Indiana’s 40—the roster owns far more postseason mileage than Detroit (six). Assistant Rick Brunson, retained from the previous staff, has been “instrumental,” Brown said, in managing rotations and player roles.
Dual offensive engines
Jalen Brunson (29.0 PPG, 38.9% on 7.9 three-point attempts) has supplied late-game scoring for two straight postseasons, prompting Brown to stump for MVP consideration. Karl-Anthony Towns, while adjusting to Brown’s offense, still owns five 30-point outings—all victories—and a 40-point performance against Minnesota. When defenses key on Brunson, the Knicks can pivot to Towns’ inside-out skill set.
A bench that changes games
New York erased a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit on Christmas Day behind reserves Jordan Clarkson, Tyler Kolek and Mitchell Robinson, then closed out Cleveland 126-124. Clarkson, added in the offseason, is averaging 10.6 points on 46% shooting since Nov. 1, while third-year guard Miles McBride is hitting 46% from deep since returning Dec. 29. Brown has trimmed starter minutes—only Brunson and Mikal Bridges hover around 35 per game—aiming for fresher legs after last year’s Conference-final flameout against Indiana.
Why the run could stall
Defense below championship level
Entering Sunday’s win over Portland, New York ranked 18th in defensive efficiency and was allowing 114.9 points per game. Only the 1959-60 Celtics and 1966-67 76ers surrendered more among eventual champions. Brown, after a 30-point loss in Detroit, admitted, “They physically kicked our asses,” and said “everything’s on the table” to fix a unit that relies on 6-foot-2 Brunson at the point of attack and foul-prone Towns near the rim.
Little margin for injuries
New York went 3-5 while Josh Hart nursed an ankle sprain and 2-4 in games OG Anunoby missed against playoff-level foes. Robinson, vital to the second unit’s rebounding identity, has appeared in only 48 games over the previous two years and continues to operate on managed minutes. When Robinson, Brunson and McBride share the floor, the Knicks outscore opponents by 18.1 points per 100 possessions—a combination that becomes fragile if any piece is sidelined.
East rivals gaining steam
Detroit, already atop the conference, throttled New York last week without injured starters Jalen Duren and Tobias Harris. Center Isaiah Stewart bothers Towns, and rookie Ausar Thompson forced Brunson into six turnovers in last spring’s first-round series. The Pistons also hold trade-deadline flexibility should they choose to add shooting. Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics, third in the East despite Jayson Tatum’s Achilles rehabilitation, rank second in offensive rating after reshaping the roster around Jaylen Brown. A late-season Tatum return could tilt any playoff rematch.
Dolan’s mandate remains unchanged: “Getting to the Finals, we absolutely got to do.” Whether Brown’s group can tighten its defense, stay healthy and outlast a rising Detroit and a retooled Boston will define whether New York’s season ends in April, May or on the NBA’s biggest stage in June.
Source: ESPN
