Knicks Have Help on the Way as Deadline Nears
When the LA Lakers acquired Luka Doncic in a blockbuster trade from the Dallas Mavericks on the same night the LeBron squad came to New York and beat up on the Knicks, the questions started up again: are the Knicks good enough to contend for the NBA title?
Those questions rose again when the Knicks found themselves down 11 to Houston on Monday before Jalen Brunson went off in the fourth quarter of a 42-point effort as the Knicks won 124-118.
As the trade deadline nears, the Knicks sit in third place in the Eastern Conference, where they seemingly have been all season, with a record of 33-17.
The Knicks are a good team. No doubt about it. Before falling to the Lakers on Saturday, the Knickerbockers won five in a row, including posting back-to-back 143 point efforts against Memphis and Sacremento. They even held Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic to just 17 points in a 122-112 victory on January 29.
But will the Knicks need more?
The fact is there might not be a deal to be made without giving up a lot before the deadline hits. Plus the Knicks have reinforcements on the way.
Mitchell Robinson, who has been out all year after undergoing ankle surgery last May, is expected to start practicing again, after being cleared for contact. The seven-footer isn’t the flashiest center in the league, but his presence inside would be greatly welcome to a Knicks team that could use some size to go along with Karl-Anthony Towns, who has been incredible this year for New York.
Moreover, the Knicks desperately need OG Anunoby back after he missed Monday’s game against Houston. His MRI revealed a mild sprain on his foot and he is day to day. He should be back after the All-Star Break.
Anunoby is a nice change of pace with Mikal Bridges, and every so often can carry the team offensively, giving Bruson a break.
Once he returns, the scoring will be fine. Perhaps the defense will only get better if Robinson can give them something down the stretch.
But once the deadline comes and goes, the questions about how good this team can be will only intensify toward the postseason. Can the Knicks get past Boston, who beat the Knicks in their lone meeting on Opening night?
Can the Knicks get past Cleveland, who has been inexplicably amazing this year with a 40-9 record?
Can they survive a series against teams like Atlanta, Milwaukee, or Miami, all of whom have given the Knicks fits in the recent past?
The Knicks may not make the big splashy play at the deadline, but they have the pieces to win big this year. They just have to go do it.