Despite a 2-2 week that saw the New York Knicks drop games at home to the Pistons and Hawks, New York still climbed up to the seventh spot on John Schuhmann’s latest power rankings for NBA.com. The Knicks were previously ranked eighth, with their recent victory over the Orlando Magic giving them that extra boost this week.
“The Knicks were the only home team to lose in the NBA Cup quarterfinals, but they responded with an important win in Orlando to climb past the Magic into third place in the Eastern Conference,” Schuhumann wrote.
The Knicks are heading in the right direction
New York has slowly started to find their rhythm after a slow start to the season. In their past 15 games, they are 11-4, including two victories over the Magic and one over both the Suns and Nuggets. Additionally, the Knicks are 8-4 at home this season.
They have established themselves as a top offense in the league led by Jalen Brunson and newcomer Karl-Anthony Towns. They have the third-best offensive rating in the NBA at 119.7, and the fifth-best net rating at 6.6. They are also second in the NBA in both field goal percentage (49.7%) and three-point percentage (39.4%).
Defense has still be an issue for the Knicks
However, what has held them back thus far is their subpar defense. New York has just the 16th-best defensive rating at 113.1, but they have started to improve on that end of the floor in recent games.
The Knicks have allowed their opponents to score just 102.7 points per game in the month of December, which is the best mark in the NBA. They have received strong defensive contributions from OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, which has helped them stay afloat while missing their best interior presence in Mitchell Robinson.
New York will be up for a tall task in their next game, which is scheduled for Thursday night on the road against the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have won six of their last seven games and are also starting to get into a groove with their new pieces.