The New York Knicks are one of the NBA’s top teams, currently standing at 37-19 with a +5.1 net rating, the sixth-best in the league. They boast the third-best offense and feature two All-Star-caliber players in Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, both likely to make All-NBA teams.
However, the gap between New York and the top teams in the East, Cleveland and Boston, was glaringly apparent on Friday night when the Cavaliers crushed the Knicks 142-105. The Knicks are now 0-4 against these two teams, losing by an average of 23.25 points. The team had no response to Cleveland’s dominance, as evidenced by postgame comments, like this one from Jalen Brunson: “You can’t explain it. I’m at a loss for words.”
Miles McBride added, “From the start, we didn’t set the tone. They scored inside, hit threes, and attacked every opportunity. Every player on their team is a threat, whether they’re starting or coming off the bench, and they know how to exploit mismatches.”
This raises the obvious question: Can the Knicks compete with the Celtics in a potential second-round playoff matchup?
They’ll get another test on Sunday when they face a scorching Celtics team in Boston. New York’s defensive struggles were on full display in the loss to Cleveland. With a defensive rating of 114.1 (18th in the league), they haven’t been able to get it together, and things have worsened recently with a 119.3 net rating over the last 10 games. Fans are hopeful that the return of wing OG Anunoby and center Mitchell Robinson will bolster their defense, but that remains to be seen. While the Knicks’ stars, Brunson and Towns, are strong offensively, neither excels on defense. Brunson’s size limits him in certain matchups, and Towns has never been known as a rim protector.
Friday night’s game might have exposed the Knicks’ ceiling as contenders once again. The silver lining for Cleveland is that center Jarrett Allen left the game with a hand injury, which could sideline him for some time. While his absence would be a blow to their frontline, the Cavaliers have a solid six-game lead over second-place Boston, which gives them plenty of room to absorb the loss.
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