The New York Knicks opened the season with tempered optimism. This was going to be a fun, solid team that likely would lead to a fun and solid season. Things have changed though as the season has progressed. The New York Knicks are now viable contenders.
The Knicks sit in 4th place in the Eastern Conference standings and are within shouting distance of 3rd place and second is not too far away. They have been excellent at home and have one of the best defenses in the NBA. What is so impressive about this team though is that they are young and exciting. While the Celtics and Bucks have their mega stars, the Knicks are playing like a true team.
Jalen Brunson leads the team in scoring and assists, while Julius Randle leads in rebounds and is second in scoring. It doesn't end there. DiVincenzo is atop the team's leaderboard in steals and has been the deep threat this squad has needed for years. Isiah Hartenstein is blocking more than one shot per game to take that category as well. This is all without mentioning RJ Barrett's 18 points, 4+ rebounds per game or that eight Knicks are averaging double digits in scoring. Yes, this is a complete team.
The Knicks opened the season at about 25-1 to win it all this season and they are down to 18-1 at the current odds. A look deeper shows that the Knicks actually have better odds than the Cavs, who sit in 2nd place in the East, leaving just the Celtics and Bucks ahead of them in the oddsmakers minds. It's about time we stopped looking at the Knicks as the team that could be fun and solid and start seeing this squad as dangerous and viable.