Can the Knicks Find Balance After a 2-2 Start?
After a crazed offseason where the New York Knicks made big moves by acquiring Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks looked to finally put another championship banner in the rafters. However, Opening Night was disastrous as they were crushed by the Boston Celtics in a 132-109 matchup, where the Celtics shot 29 threes. New York got their revenge on the Indiana Pacers, defeating them by 25 points, then dropped a home game to the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers. Last night, in a 116-107 win against the Miami Heat, the Knicks offense picked up the slack after being down 13 points a few minutes into the third quarter. Star point guard for the New York, Jalen Brunson, had a rough go during the first half. Nonetheless, his leadership and passing ability propelled Towns to drop 44 points in the win. With the team back at .500, could we see more consistency within the Knicks offense?
Brunson put up 22 points in the win, with a season-high of nine assists. Even though he shot six for 18 from the field, his non-scoring played a factor that allowed everyone to get involved. Towns missed eight shots for the game, and if he can continue to be this reliable for New York’s offense, they could certainly play a part in looking for that number-one seed within the Eastern Conference. This team still has a few guys waiting to return from injury: Mitchell Robinson, Precious Achiuwa, and Landry Shamet. While it may take time to incorporate these guys into the offense, this newly formed Knicks team needs to get to know each other’s tendencies and prove to the doubters they have a squad built for a deep playoff run. New York’s next opponent is the 1-4 Detroit Pistons; it’s a given for this Knicks team not to underestimate a young, determined team, especially like the Pistons, who are looking to not repeat the same mistakes as last season’s embarrassment. If New York wins, that should boost some morale and give more hope going forward.
This New York team was built to compete with the toughest foes in the Eastern Conference. They do not want to see the Celtics raise banner 19, nor do they want underestimated teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, or Cavaliers to play a role in their demise. This Knicks team must once again be composed of grit and have no fear of any challenger. The question is, how far will they go?
