The Knicks did just enough thanks to Jalen Brunson’s game-winning jumper to get past the Hawks in overtime on Wednesday night, going into the All-Star break with a win and a firm hold on the third seed in the Eastern Conference.
As New York goes into the break, it continues to face questions from the fanbase over whether it is a legit title contender, as a win over Atlanta doesn’t completely wash away blowout losses to teams like the Celtics and Thunder. But Sal Licata is calling on fans to remember where the Knicks were as a franchise for decades, and enjoy the ride and the fact that the NBA Finals are even brought up as a debate.
“I feel like we’re not appreciating them in the way that we should,” Sal said. “They’re still one of the best teams in the league, the playoffs haven’t started, and they’re not fully healthy yet.”
But Brandon Tierney isn’t feeling as appreciative of what the Knicks have shown so far this season, as he continues to believe that the team isn’t where it needs to be, and now that there isn’t room for another impact move, the concern is growing.
“I’m happy with the win...but last night was very symbolic of what bothers me with the Knicks,” BT said. “Dude, you gave up almost 150 points to the Hawks, who just traded De’Andre Hunter and lost 10 of 14...I know that they’re good, but they’re not good enough to be a champion.
“The Knicks, for a long time, had the easiest schedule in the NBA. They were beating up on some bad teams...this is a trend. The Knicks look good against bad teams, they look eh against average teams, and they get squashed against good teams.”
The Knicks have had their share of impressive wins, like blowout victories over the fifth-seeded Hawks and fourth-seeded Pacers, and destroying the Nuggets on the road before beating them again at home. but BT doesn’t like what he sees against the Celtics and Thunder, where he sees a clear deficiency but doesn’t see how the Knicks can do anything about it now that a lot of their draft assets have been used on offseason additions like Mikal Bridges.
“I have a problem when you fire the big bullet to put yourself in a championship position, and the top team in the conference is so much better than you,” BT said. “That’s the problem. Maybe they should have made different moves. Maybe the move for Bridges wasn’t the right move.”