NBA Look-Ahead: Knicks Have Big Litmus Test Coming On Schedule

The New York Knicks should have a great idea of where they stand in the Eastern Conference after this week's slate of games.

A challenging four-game week starts Tuesday night, when the Knicks (31-18) take on the Washington Wizards (13-35) on the road. The Wizards are no challenge themselves, sitting at 14th in the Eastern Conference. New York has no excuse not to take care of business in that one. It's later in the week that the true tests arrive.

The Knicks return home Wednesday night, but it will be the second game of a back-to-back when they face the Denver Nuggets at Madison Square Garden. Denver just got Nikola Jokic back in the lineup, and appear to have him on something of a minutes restriction (25 and 29 minutes in his two games back). But even on a limited basis, Jokic still managed a 31-12-5 line in just 25 minutes in his return. Jokic vs. Karl-Anthony Towns will be one of the marquee big man matchups of the whole season.

It's on Friday and Sunday that the Knicks will play two critical games for their playoff positioning. First they head to Detroit for a Friday matchup against the No. 1-seeded Pistons, then they head back home for their latest playoff rematch against the Celtics. Entering Monday, the Knicks and C's have identical 31-18 records, setting the stage for a must-see matchup for basketball fans in New York and Boston.

The Knicks should come out of the week having a clearer picture of what they can do at a high level, and what they may need to improve, going up against the iron of the east (and a top Western Conference contender) in the span of less than a week.