Don't look now, but the Knicks are playing well -- better than their cross-city rivals in Brooklyn through the first couple weeks of the season.
The Knicks were 4-3 through their first seven contests, only one game better than the 3-4 Nets.
But the gap in the teams' performances relative to expectations was chasmic.
For the Nets, the injury report was far more distressing than their early uneven play.
With Kevin Durant out for at least four games due to coronavirus protocols, and second-unit stud Spencer Dinwiddie likely out for the year after ACL surgery, Brooklyn was confronted with an early-season mini-crisis soon after its heady 2-0 start.
The Knicks meanwhile were off to exactly the kind of start they might have hoped for under Tom Thibodeau. They've played sound, team basketball since dropping their first two games, knocking off the conference-rival Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks in the process.
It's been a balanced attack early, but Julius Randle looks rejuvenated playing in Thibodeau's system, while R.J. Barrett has played like a budding star at times.
The Big Apple's daily imprints, as well as national outlets, were heaping praise on the Knickerbockers after their latest win, a hard-fought victory over the Hawks on Monday night.
The New York Post declared the Knicks worth watching once again, while For The Win, a USA Today Sports blog, expressed cautious optimism that the Knicks do in fact appear "to have something good going on."
An SNY column suggested that the Knicks might have all the star power they need in Randle and Barrett, and the Daily News praised the team's new hard-nosed defense, a hallmark of Thibodeau-coached clubs.
Meanwhile Kentucky product Immanuel Quickley continues to impress early in his rookie campaign, with one former NBA coach reportedly dubbing him the steal of the draft, SNY reported.
Following the impressive win over an improved Hawks team, Randle, Barrett and Thibs explained they've been getting it done by playing team ball, something they were able to achieve early on in their time together.
While it's premature to declare the Knicks contenders in the Eastern Conference, they look set to play smart, competitive basketball on a nightly basis under Thibodeau, something that couldn't always be said in recent years.
ESPN analyst and noted Knicks fan Stephen A. Smith, for one, has been recognizing the Knicks' improvement, on social media and on the network's "First Take" program.
While some of the Nets' concerns would be alleviated with the presumed safe and healthy return of Durant, many still noted the irony in the difference between the team's early-season results.
Kendrick Perkins, Smith's fellow contributor on First Take, is among the many who have been sounding the alarm on Brooklyn.