Some people questioned whether or not the New York Knicks would move up in the hierarchy of the NBA after they traded with the Toronto Raptors. Some people panned the deal for the Knicks, believing they gave up too much. But, anyone who doubted the trade has quickly changed their tune.
Since the calendar flipped to 2024 and the players from the trade, OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn, have stepped into the lineup, the Knicks have been the best team in the NBA. That dominance continued on Tuesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers.
New York defeated Portland at Madison Square Garden 112-84. It was their fifth straight victory, which is their longest winning streak of the season. The 84 points given up to the Trail Blazers is also a new season-low for the Knicks.
There isn’t another team in the NBA that has had this much success in 2024. The Knicks are the last remaining undefeated team in the year and the only team to reach the five-win mark thus far in January.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: OG Anunoby, Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, Isaiah Hartenstein, Mitchell Robinson, New York Knicks Updates
The Knicks started this win streak by defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves, the No. 1 team in the Western Conference, in a New Year’s Day matinee, 112-106. They blew out the Chicago Bulls at Madison Square Garden in their following game, 116-100.
Heading into a weekend back-to-back, the Knicks traveled to face the Philadelphia 76ers in a big test. They passed with flying colors, dismantling their Atlantic Division rivals, 128-92. The second night of the back-to-back was on the road against the Washington Wizards and New York had another dominating performance, winning 121-105.
Just how good have the Knicks been during this stretch? As pointed out by Tommy Beer on X, formerly Twitter, they have barely trailed in their last five games. In 240 minutes of play, New York has led or been tied with their opponent for 212 of them. That means 88 percent of the time, the Knicks have not been losing.
This has been a rapid turnaround, as the Knicks turned the corner faster than anyone in the organization probably would have predicted. Normally it takes some time for players to get comfortable in new roles, but they have hit the ground running since the trade with the Raptors.
Prior to that deal, the Knicks were struggling to adjust to life without starting center Mitchell Robinson. The anchor to their defense, New York was hemorrhaging points at an alarming pace.
In the five games before the trade, the Knicks were dead last in the NBA with a defensive rating of 124.9. Their net rating of -7.9 was 27th in the league and the team was 1-4 in those games. In the five games since New York has been the best team in the NBA.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: OG Anunoby, Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, Isaiah Hartenstein, Mitchell Robinson, New York Knicks Updates
They have a defensive rating of 100.2 and a net rating of +19.8, both of which are first in the league. Most importantly, it has resulted in wins, as the Knicks are 5-0, riding the longest winning streak in the NBA.
One of the areas the team missed Robinson the most was on the boards. His offensive rebounding rate was better than some entire teams in the NBA. Despite losing that, the Knicks have remained an effective team on the glass.
A lot of credit needs to go to Isaiah Hartenstein, who has stepped into the starting lineup and provided the team with a spark. He has 14+ rebounds in three out of his last five games and has pulled down 8+ in nine out of 11 games he has started.
That has helped the Knicks keep their edge on the boards. According to The Strickland on X, New York is second in the NBA in rebounding percentage during their winning streak. That has aided them in being No. 2 in offensive rating, pairing excellently with their No. 1 defensive rating.
The Knicks are getting contributions from everyone on their roster. The pieces have fallen into place perfectly with the addition of Anunoby into the starting five as the team is producing on both ends of the floor.
Nothing embodies that more than the plus/minus ratios in 2024. The top four players on the list and five out of the top six are all Knicks. Hartenstein leads the way with +125, followed by Anunoby at +111, Jalen Brunson at +110 and Julius Randle at +83. Josh Hart is sixth with a +72.
It is hard to imagine New York getting any more efficient on their end of the court. But with players still building chemistry and cohesion, there could still be another level for this group to reach once they fully get comfortable with each other on the court.
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