Are the New York Knicks for real? After seeing their record drop to 17-15 to close out the 2023 calendar year, they caught fire in January, going 14-2 in the month and quickly rose up the standings in the Eastern Conference. But things have gotten rocky for New York lately, and there is one telling statistic that could eventually take the wind out of the sails when it comes to competing in the playoffs.
The Knicks Have Struggled Against Good Teams This Season
The Knicks are now just 1 game ahead of the #8 seed. pic.twitter.com/lvz4nkLf1Y
— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) March 1, 2024
There have been injuries lately, which have surely contributed to the Knicks’ shortcomings over the past few weeks. Both Julius Randle and OG Anunoby have been out since late January, and others had been missing in spots during February. But their struggles against good teams has been apparent all season long, and they have the record to prove it.
They have feasted on the bad teams in the NBA. The Knicks have posted a 23-2 record against teams with losing records, proving that they can take care of business when they are expected to be the victors. But their mark against teams over .500 is now just 12-23 after losses to the Pelicans and Warriors this past week.
Playoff Seeding Could Become An Issue
Knicks vs. below .500 teams — 23-2
Knicks vs. above .500 teams — 12-21
Thoughts? 😬 (Reddit NBA, h/t @RTNBA) pic.twitter.com/jBvJ0LKwOa
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 27, 2024
It doesn’t exactly bode well for the playoffs. They are currently sitting in the 4th seed in the East, and would play against the Philadelphia 76ers in Round 1 if the season ended today. But just a game and a half separates the Knicks from the 8th seeded Miami Heat, meaning that New York could end up in the Play-In Tournament rather than having home court in the first round. Should they qualify for the top-8, they would likely play against one of the Celtics, Cavaliers, or Bucks.
The Knicks are hoping for better luck during their upcoming home stand than they had on the last. Four straight games inside Madison Square Garden over the last week resulted in a 1-3 record, and they will play a single road game in Cleveland before playing another four straight back at home.
Based on their opponents’ winning percentages, the Knicks rank 16th in the league in terms of toughest remaining schedules.
