The national narrative around the Knicks has been exhausting for years.
"The Knicks are good, but they have no shot at a title."
"The Knicks will never land the star they need"
"The Knicks have a star in Jalen Brunson, but they still need the next star to complete the puzzle."
On and on and on.
So, as the Knicks ride a five-game winning streak and wake up on Wednesday morning as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, those talking points will rise again, as they have during nearly any stretch of good basketball in New York since their surprising run to the playoffs in 2021. It's best to ignore them. The questions of this team in regards to the future serve no purpose.
What matters is what you're seeing on the court right now.
The prevailing talk around the Knicks has often been what they don't have, or what they still covet. It's time to acknowledge what New York has right now: a team that is playing as well as any in the NBA, and has taken the next step after acquiring a player they had coveted for over a year.
Anyone who has watched the Knicks over the past week and a half has realized why OG Anunoby was so heavily pursued by Leon Rose and company. The Knicks newcomer has completely changed the look of the team, as his teammates marvel at the increased ball movement, while his defensive prowess has been front and center against the likes of Anthony Edwards and Karl Anthony Towns, and his 3-point efficiency has made Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson even more lethal when getting to the basket, as defenses can no longer collapse with the same confidence as they did when RJ Barrett was lurking in the corner.
Meanwhile, the second unit has come alive with the emergence of Miles McBride and the more confident Quentin Grimes, who is now operating with a longer leash thanks to the departures of Barrett and Immanuel Quickley via the Anunoby trade.
The defense, such a glaring problem after the injury to Mitchell Robinson, has been seemingly solved with one move. Robinson's absence has been covered up by Isaiah Hartenstein, who was already one of the best backup centers in the league and is now showing his ability in a starting role.
The Knicks are for real. Earlier in the season, the gripe was their inability to beat the top teams in the East, those road blocks that many said were the reason not to buy into the team. Well, recent wins against the Bucks, Sixers, and Timberwolves can put those talks to bed. It won't, but it should.
The same talking points around the Knicks will linger, as any compliment about the team will be coupled with the caveat of, "They're not there yet." Knicks fans should ignore it all. Too much of this franchise's identity has been about a future that may or may not arrive. That is no longer necessary. The Knicks have arrived, and this version of the Knicks can beat anybody.
The conversation about their capability as a legit contender can wait until the playoffs. For now, the Knicks should be enjoyed in the here and now, because it is a beautiful product to watch.
