Prior to Julius Randle and OG Anunoby going down with prolonged injuries at the end of January, the New York Knicks found themselves in a position to contend at the very top of the Eastern Conference standings as the 3-seed. Although they stumbled a little bit, posting a 4-8 record in the month of February, the Knicks have begun to find their stride with less than a month before the playoffs, thanks to Jalen Brunson's continued leadership and their depth, headlined by Josh Hart.
Toughness and resilience are the two words head coach Tom Thibodeau has been preaching to his team. The Knicks were very short-handed over the last few weeks, especially with Donte DiVincenzo and Brunson also being banged up at times. Both players are healthy once more, as is Anunoby, who returned on Tuesday after undergoing elbow surgery last month.
It shouldn't come as a surprise that the Knicks have won both of their games since Anunoby's return. When New York traded for the two-way wing, they envisioned him as one of the final pieces to their championship puzzle alongside Brunson and Randle. Before his elbow injury, the Knicks went 12-2 in 14 total games with Anunoby on the court. Overall, the Knicks are 14-2 in the games that Anunoby is on the court for.
Their latest victory came on Thursday night on the road against the Portland Trail Blazers, a hard-fought 105-93 victory to move the Knicks to 39-27 on the season, just three games back of the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 3-seed in the conference. All around, this game exhibited what Knicks basketball is about, even with Randle still sidelined due to his dislocated shoulder.
Brunson finished with 45 points on 14-of-30 shooting, Anunoby made a difference on both sides of the court with 12 points and nine boards, and Hart held things together with 15 rebounds and three steals in 42 minutes of play. Nobody other than Brunson scored more than 12 points in the game, but the Knicks' toughness every single possession prevailed in this game.
“We had a lot of guys step up,” Thibodeau preached in his postgame comments. “OG gave us really great minutes, great defense (and) hustle plays. It's a good, solid win.”
Much like Hart, Anunoby is the type of player who can help hold the foundation of this team together. His availability is key, which is why some slight grimaces and soreness in his first couple of games back from elbow surgery are a little alarming for this franchise.
OG Anunoby, Julius Randle injury concerns
Initially, Anunoby was said to be out for three weeks as he recovered from surgery to remove a loose body in his right elbow. After having surgery on Feb. 8, Anunoby did not return to the court until this past Tuesday, March 12. Even though he didn't suffer any setbacks, the Knicks' forward is still dealing with some effects from his injury.
“There's going to be sometimes when there's going to be soreness. He played through it and was fine,” Thibodeau said after Thursday's game in response to Anunoby grimacing at certain points. “Medical looked at him and there's going to be times where it gets hit. We just gotta keep going, so we'll see where he is.”
Thibodeau went on to explain how the team is expecting there to be “bumps and bruises” pertaining to Anunoby's return. As for how Anunoby feels, he claims that his elbow is only sore and that there is nothing wrong.
When Anunoby plays, good things happen. This is not only due to his defensive instincts, resulting in fast break scoring opportunities for the Knicks off of their opponent's turnovers, but also due to the pressure he takes off of everyone else. Brunson always looks a lot calmer on the court with Anunoby, and not all the rebounding load falls on Hart's shoulders either with him out there.
Getting healthy ahead of the playoffs is going to be essential for the Knicks, which is why Anunoby's return is so important. Then again, the Knicks are still without Randle. There have been no official injury updates from the team on where Randle is in his recovery status, yet the star has been able to travel with the team. New York remains hopeful that they will be able to get Randle back on the court and strengthen his shoulder to the point where he will be able to be effective in the playoffs.
The key to the Knicks' success without their All-Star big man has been playing through their depth. In their victory over the Blazers on Thursday night, Brunson was the star with 45 points. However, Hart and the Knicks' depth was the reason they were able to pull off a dominating win.
Josh Hart highlights Knicks' depth
Aside from his efforts as one of the primary rebounders on the Knicks, Hart has proven to be one of the league's best “glue guys” in the sense that he bridges the gaps between all the players on this roster. Hart makes a difference defensively, and just his intensity brings a new sense of energy to every lineup he is a part of.
Despite joking about his minutes constantly changing, Hart is truly the Knicks' ironman because he is comfortable playing 48 minutes a game every single day. Whatever the Knicks need of him, Hart is always the one player to consistently step up.
“No matter what he says or (however much he) complains, one thing he’s gonna do is play hard for 48 minutes,” Brunson said of Hart, via Kristian Winfield of New York Daily News. “That’s just what he is. That’s in his DNA. He’s been like that since I’ve met him. This is nothing new.”
His 15-rebound performance against the Blazers marked the third straight game in which Hart has recorded double-digit rebounds. Since Randle suffered his shoulder injury on Jan. 27, Hart has recorded 15 games with at least 10 boards, six of which were double-doubles and four were triple-doubles.
Next to Hart, Donte DiVincenzo, Precious Achiuwa, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Miles McBride have been the secondary talents to step up in Randle's absence. On any given night, these four players are able to supply the Knicks with a variety of production that ranges well past scoring, especially on the perimeter.
As a team, the Knicks rank fifth in the league in rebounding and second in points allowed per game. These are two areas that build title-contending teams. New York believes that they can still rekindle their championship hopes in the wake of their injury concerns.
Can the Knicks make a postseason run?
In the Eastern Conference, everyone is looking up at the Boston Celtics. All season long, the Celtics have sat at the top of the NBA world, and they have continued to look like the best team in the league. New York has lost all four meetings against Boston this year. Whether or not the Knicks can be true title contenders in the Eastern Conference doesn't solely depend on their ability to match up against the Celtics.
The Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Orlando Magic are all teams that could stand in the path of the Knicks being able to make a deep postseason run to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since the 1999-00 season. Unfortunately, the Knicks are a combined 4-7 against these three teams, with two wins coming against the Cavs.
The thing about New York is that it seems like their roster has looked different every single week due to injuries and their new additions of Bogdanovic and Alec Burks at the trade deadline. If anything has become clear over the last few weeks, it's that the Knicks are carving their identity through their defense and pace of play.
The Knicks have held their opponents under 100 points in five of their last six games. They have held their opponents under 80 points in two of these matchups, one of which they lost 79-73 to the Philadelphia 76ers.
It truly appears as if this organization has adapted to Randle's injury by going back to its roots on defense. Thibodeau and his teams have always been known to be rough and rugged when it comes to defense. Since the All-Star break, this has been the approach in New York.
Defense wins championships. This is said in every single sport, and it definitely translates to the NBA. But offense is equally as important, especially in today's league with teams having the ability to score over 120 points on any given night. For the Knicks, their championship hopes are clinging to their ability to control all 48 minutes of a game. While they may still have more to prove, one thing is for certain: No other team in this league is going to want to see the Knicks in a seven-game series come playoff time.
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