Dylan Backer
There are still 12 games left for the New York Knicks this season, and the door of opportunity might have opened for them down the final stretch. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Detroit Pistons superstar Cade Cunningham suffered a collapsed lung and will be reevaluated in a couple of weeks.
Cade Cunningham’s injury gives Knicks a grand opportunity
The injury could keep him sidelined until the playoffs, or even bleed into the postseason. Detroit has been the No. 1 seed in the East for a majority of the season, and the Knicks trail them by 5.5 games in the standings.
This is significant and could have major implications on the playoff outlook for New York. Detroit is currently 6-2 in games without Cunningham this season, but if they go into the playoffs without him, things could end up playing out differently than anticipated.
New York now has an opportunity to potentially quickly close the gap in the standings, and possibly overtake them for the 1 seed. To do that, however, they have work to do, as they are still behind the Boston Celtics for the second seed.
The Knicks need to finish the season strong
The Knicks are more than capable of making a run to get themselves near the top of the standings. For the greater part of the last two months, they have been the league’s best defense while also being a top five offense, and have secured statement wins over the Spurs, Nuggets, and Celtics.
New York has a favorable schedule ahead, with games against the Nets, Wizards, and Pelicans upcoming. However, things will get tougher at the end of the season, which includes another matchup against the Celtics, who they have taken down twice this season.
The Knicks need to play at their best more than ever right now, as the opportunity to put themselves atop the Eastern Conference is very much possible now.
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