OKC Thunder: NBA Power Rankings -Griffin buyout shifts ladder at half way mark
13. team. 27. . 19-18. Previous: 15th. New York Knicks
New York Knicks: 18-17
Week 11: 1-1
Won vs: Pistons 114-104
Lost to: Spurs 93-119
Week 12 opponents: @Bucks, @Thunder
Offense: (108.7) 23rd
Defense: (108.1) 2nd
Net: (Plus +06) 12th
It’s good for the NBA to have the team from the Mecca back in the playoff mix. Tom Thibodeau has done a masterful job with the Knicks getting them to buy-in defensively and it’s resulted in the second-ranked defense.
Not meaning to rain on Knicks fans’ parade but as well as they’ve played in the first half of the season the second-half schedule will test their mettle. Although they play fewer back-to-back sets than most clubs (6) and the fewest games in the East (35) the calendar and more specifically the opponents they’ll face are daunting.
Of the 35 contests 22 feature current playoff seeds. The most difficult part of their season occurs at the very end of the calendar. Although sometimes that can be beneficial as clubs rest players, the truncated 2020-21 campaign is more likely to witness opponents competing right to the final match.
To that end, the Knicks have a six-game opposite coast road trip from May 2nd to 11th. The final four games in that trip followed by three games at home to close the season are all playoff seeds.