The New York Knicks have been rolling, as they have won 15 of their last 19 games and are just two games back of the Boston Celtics for second in the Eastern Conference. However, they have been criticized for the lack of superior opponents in the games they have won.
The Knicks have taken advantage of an objectively easier schedule
After defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road on Dec. 19, the Knicks began a seven-game stretch going up against teams that are going to be in the running for the first overall pick, a stretch they are still in the midst of. They defeated the San Antonio Spurs on Christmas Day, but prior to that had defeated the Pelicans and Raptors, two teams with less than 10 wins.
Starting Friday, the Knicks close out the calendar year with the shorthanded Orlando Magic and then the Washington Wizards twice. They then start the new year facing the Utah Jazz at home. Objectively, those are considerably weaker opponents in a decent-sized stretch of games, but it is out of the Knicks’ control who they face.
“They’re NBA teams, the best of the best,” Karl-Anthony Towns said, via NJ.com’s Adam Zagoria. “I mean, any night, that’s what makes NBA basketball so special. These are the best basketball players in the world. Any night, you know, you could lose. These teams all play with pride, and we had to execute…Those teams are the best of the best.”
The Knicks have some quality wins this season
The Knicks have suffered some tough losses this season to teams with losing records, including a pair of losses to the Bulls and Jazz earlier this season. They have also been in nail-biters with middling teams such as the Charlotte Hornets and Brooklyn Nets, which may make their 20-10 record not seem as imposing.
However, what tends to be overlooked are the good wins they do have this season. Though they were under .500 at the time, the Bucks were defeated in blowout fashion by the Knicks, as well as the Nuggets on the road. New York also has wins over the Suns and Timberwolves.
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Most criticisms will likely continue until the Knicks prove that they can beat a formidable opponent in their conference. They have suffered one loss each to the two teams ahead of them in the standings, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics. The Knicks don’t face either one of those teams until February, when they’ll take on the Celtics on Feb. 8 and the Cavaliers on Feb. 21.
They have a fairly easy January schedule, though they do have two games against the Oklahoma City Thunder thrown in there. Nevertheless, the Knicks can’t control who they are playing as they are just going by the schedule, and beating up on the weaker opponents is what a good team is supposed to do.
