The New York Knicks have been recognized as a top-10 team in the NBA’s latest power rankings.
Knicks climb one spot in new NBA power rankings
NBA.com’s John Schuhmann ranked the Knicks at No. 6 overall, saying this about their recovery from a down stretch last week:
“The bigger issues during the 3-6 stretch were on defense, but it was nice for the Knicks’ second-ranked offense to bust out (143 points on 104 possessions) against Sacramento on Saturday, with all five starters scoring at least 18 points and Josh Hart recording his sixth triple-double of the season. The Knicks are 6-0 (11-1 over the last two seasons) when Hart has recorded a triple-double,” Schuhmann wrote.
New York went 3-0 last week, securing victories over the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 20, the Brooklyn Nets on Jan. 21, and the Sacramento Kings on Jan. 25. The Knicks bested the Hawks by nine points in a revenge game against Trae Young after the star point guard’s controversial gesture in their previous outing. They also escaped with a narrower four-point win over the Nets before dominating the Kings by 23 points en route to 143 points scored — their second-highest point total of the campaign.
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Knicks can ascend further if continuity builds
The Knicks now sit at 30-16, good for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference and the seventh-best overall record in the NBA. They are rounding into form at the right time and playing great basketball on both ends of the floor.
New York’s bench is still a work in progress but could rise from their lackluster state with the now regular presence of Landry Shamet next to Cam Payne, Miles McBride, and Precious Achiuwa, as well as Mitchell Robinson, who is getting closer to making his return. As the Knicks continue to gel, they could show their championship stripes and ascend into the top-five or greater. They’d have a mountain to climb to eclipse the top-ranked Oklahoma City Thunder (37-8) or the No. 2 ranked Cleveland Cavaliers (36-9).
