Knicks · After 1/3 of the season, what can we say about the landscape? (page 1)

We're roughly 26 games, or a little under 1/3 of the way through the season. What can we predict based on what we know so far how the standings are going to shake out going forward?
Assuming the Celtics are in the top 2 in the East, do they make a push and get back on top?
Will the Cavs have enough to keep up their pace and stay in the top or top 2 positions in the East?
If, so, who is the third best team in the East? Knicks? Orlando? or very possibly Milwaukee, who, after a bad start, has been hot? Can they stay healthy?
Are the Pacers going to continue to be sub-500?
Are Philly going to miss the play-in?
Does Detroit sneak into the play-in?
So much interesting stuff here.

In the West, three Western powerhouses are sitting in the Play-in. Minnesota, LA, and GS. Have they lost their form from last year? Will they recover? If they do, who drops above them?
Is Houston a legit #3?
Can the Spurs put it together and sneak in?

Boston is still the king of the East. CLE will get bounced early by someone and reminds me of Donovan's Utah teams that won 55-60 games but never got it done in the playoffs.

Knicks are still some seasoning and trades on the margins from being legit contender. The defense and depth simply isn't good enough yet.

Without a healthy Magic team, Bucks and then Hawks are the next best things in the East. Hawks are gonna be a force soon in my opinion. Very good job by Landry Fields from retooling that team when everyone thought they needed to blow it up.

Philly and Indy look pretty cooked, not really sure how they right their ships.

OKC and Dallas are the kings of the West and seem destined for a rematch in the playoffs to determine who goes to the Finals. I think GSW pulls of a trade which makes them right up there though. LeBron or Butler. Something crazy for Curry's final stretch of years.

Philly looks pretty bad but if Embiid can put 40 game stretch im they might squeak in.
Dude took and elbow and fractured his face. No sympathies here.
Indy also got hit by injuries to its role players and might still rebound some.
Hawks are like the "it" team on the rise. Orlando? Hanging tough with its two best players out. Remind anyone of us? "Next man up?"
Bucks making impressive comeback.

Extrapolate the 1st third or predict what we don't know? I'd expect Minny to get their shit together. Memphis is back. Rockets on the rise. Its tough out there.
As said, GSW perhaps parlay Kuminga and Schroder into a bigger piece?

Lakers? Depends on the night it seems.

Back East, I think Nets give Simmons the ball and try to trade if he looks good. That or a buy out. Move Finny-smith or Cam Johnson. or Cam Thomas also. Can't say how long they tank. A guy like Ben Simmons can help a contender off the bench if he can stay healthy.

Then there is Miami with Butler. They don't have many picks and are on the decline. Riley has no problem tanking once in a while but to what end? They do seem to find players from the scrap heap. Bam is not typical Bam. I'd think they want Kuminga for butler but how to make the money work is another thing. I'd almost expect to let Butler walk and use the money to sign someone. He find his way to Minny and Randle to Miami? Both are free agents and I can't see them giving randle big money. I can see giving Butler a decent 2 year deal perhaps?

Clev? Like any team its the injury thing. They should stay top 3 and other than Orlando I see Knicks basically at the 3 but its gonna be tight. When the music stops they could be 3-4-5. Orlando has room to also make trades.

I think the Knicks are close. At some point it will click. Jalen took significant leaps up the last 2 seasons when the calendar year switched. I still think there is another gear and I think the defense is improving.

DLeethal wrote:Boston is still the king of the East. CLE will get bounced early by someone and reminds me of Donovan's Utah teams that won 55-60 games but never got it done in the playoffs.

Knicks are still some seasoning and trades on the margins from being legit contender. The defense and depth simply isn't good enough yet.

Without a healthy Magic team, Bucks and then Hawks are the next best things in the East. Hawks are gonna be a force soon in my opinion. Very good job by Landry Fields from retooling that team when everyone thought they needed to blow it up.

Philly and Indy look pretty cooked, not really sure how they right their ships.

OKC and Dallas are the kings of the West and seem destined for a rematch in the playoffs to determine who goes to the Finals. I think GSW pulls of a trade which makes them right up there though. LeBron or Butler. Something crazy for Curry's final stretch of years.

totally agree on the bold... literally exactly what I see. I do think the Knicks have the staff/roster to make that leap by the end of the year. Not saying it WILL happen.. I think they are doing everything right. I hate that McBride is hobbled. That knee is hurting him and he's simply not the explosive guy he was last year.

However if we can get to the spring with 5 healthy starters and a bench of McBride/Shamat/Precious/Mitch I think we are close as we could ask

Really Embid got an Elbow to the face ???

the grass is always greener...

In their last 15 games, they are 11-4 and 8-4 at home this season. Before December they were giving up 113 pts/game, in December so far, down to 103. The Cavs, Celts, and now the Knicks, give up around 110 pts each. We are scoring about 2 buckets less than them both.

How they respond to the Wolves game should say something about the focus/direction of this team at this point. What they have done to this point has been ugly at times, but very solid and that is with a short bench. Help seems to be on the way. So far, they are winning slightly above last year's 50-win season.

With Shamet back soon, let Deuce heal up some. A Mitch return after that, the defense should be even better. A probable deadline move, this team should remain in the top three in the East and be capable of beating anyone in the playoffs. So, slightly better play for a team fitting in new major pieces, to me, things look very bright for the future of the Knicks.

fishmike wrote:

DLeethal wrote:Boston is still the king of the East. CLE will get bounced early by someone and reminds me of Donovan's Utah teams that won 55-60 games but never got it done in the playoffs.

Knicks are still some seasoning and trades on the margins from being legit contender. The defense and depth simply isn't good enough yet.

Without a healthy Magic team, Bucks and then Hawks are the next best things in the East. Hawks are gonna be a force soon in my opinion. Very good job by Landry Fields from retooling that team when everyone thought they needed to blow it up.

Philly and Indy look pretty cooked, not really sure how they right their ships.

OKC and Dallas are the kings of the West and seem destined for a rematch in the playoffs to determine who goes to the Finals. I think GSW pulls of a trade which makes them right up there though. LeBron or Butler. Something crazy for Curry's final stretch of years.

totally agree on the bold... literally exactly what I see. I do think the Knicks have the staff/roster to make that leap by the end of the year. Not saying it WILL happen.. I think they are doing everything right. I hate that McBride is hobbled. That knee is hurting him and he's simply not the explosive guy he was last year.

However if we can get to the spring with 5 healthy starters and a bench of McBride/Shamat/Precious/Mitch I think we are close as we could ask

Shame really adds a huge piece for us. Especially if one of our starter wings go down he is a much needed minutes eater. We can't expect OG to play 80 games and I worry about what happens when he goes down but we could retool the lineup pretty nicely with guys like Precious and Shamet available off the bench.

Who finishes with a better record? Knicks or Bucks?

Panos wrote:Who finishes with a better record? Knicks or Bucks?

I think around the same. I feel like the Knicks are Chris Paul and the Knicks are Steph Curry in that one State Farm commercial.

Everyone was dumping on the Bucks earlier in the season- I said they would be fine- they just won the cup.

If healthy- they are may 2 or 3 behind Boston and maybe Cleveland.

franco12 wrote:Everyone was dumping on the Bucks earlier in the season- I said they would be fine- they just won the cup.

If healthy- they are may 2 or 3 behind Boston and maybe Cleveland.

Impressive turn around for sure. Good call!
We fans tend to extrapolate the present/past into the future. Seems few have respect for Clev given DM Utah playoff "failures" and that we manhandled them a few years ago. Mobley is all grown up now and Atkinson has found something with Garland.
comeing back down to earth a bit perhaps but that to be expected.
As for Knicks, I have really no idea how this all turns out this year.