CAN’T EASE INTO IT
Knicks face daunting schedule right out of NBA All-Star break
The Knicks enter the second half of the season with the ninth-strongest remaining schedule in all of basketball.
A shorthanded New York team’s ability to stay afloat through at least the first 14 games out of the break could pay serious dividends when it’s time to determine playoff seeding.
It’s a daunting task for a Knicks group already struggling to secure victories against the so-called “good” teams.
Of New York’s 33 victories entering the 2024 NBA All-Star break, only 11 have come against teams with winning records.
Yet losses to those above-.500 teams comprised 20 of the Knicks’ 22 losses in the first half of the season.
Injuries played a part, too: The Knicks exit the All-Star break on a four-game losing streak having dropped five of their last six games. While Donte DiVincenzo (hamstring), Isaiah Hartenstein (Achilles) and Bojan Bogdanovic (calf) return from injuries, there’s no timeline established yet for Julius Randle (dislocated shoulder), OG Anunoby (right elbow surgery) or Mitchell Robinson (left ankle surgery).
Tom Thibodeau’s depleted crew faces its toughest challenge yet: Eleven of the Knicks’ first 14 games out of All-Star Weekend are against teams with records above .500.
“There’s 27 [more games] to go,” said Thibodeau. “You don’t want to be looking behind. You want to be looking ahead. The schedule is tough right as soon as we get back. So we’ve got to be ready.”
INCLUDING THEIR VERY FIRST TWO GAMES OUT THE GATE
Last night at Philadelphia, Feb. 24 vs Boston The Knicks (33-22) entered the All-Star break as sole owners of the Eastern Conference’s No. 4 seed. They are a half-game in front of the No. 5 Philadelphia 76ers and are virtually out of the running for the first seed, held by the Boston Celtics, who they trail by 10 games in the standings.
The Sixers are reeling without Joel Embiid but are still a playoff contender powered by AllStar guard Tyrese Maxey. And the Celitcs — are the Celtics; a steamroller on pace for a trip to the NBA Finals.
The Knicks are challenged right out of the gate with two high-quality Atlantic division opponents.
In fact, Thursday’s matchup against the 76ers marked the first of three games the Knicks will play against Philly during this 14game stretch.
Embiid underwent meniscus surgery and isn’t reportedly aiming for a return until April. The Sixers exited the All-Star break 6-14 in games the star center has missed due to injury this season.
THEN THERE’S A 3-GAME HOME STAND — BUT IN 4 NIGHTS
Feb. 26 vs. Detroit, Feb. 27 vs. New Orleans, Feb. 29 vs. Golden State
The Knicks will need to handle business early against the league-worst Detroit Pistons on Feb. 26 to give themselves the best chance in the second-leg of a back-to-back against the New Orleans Pelicans the next day.
The Pelicans entered All-Star Weekend winners of seven of their last 10 games and stood sixth in the Western Conference coming out of the break. And while the Pistons are perpetually one of the NBA’s worst teams, they are known to be a physical defense. (Note: Their enforcer, Isaiah Stewart, will not clear his three-game suspension for punching Phoenix Suns F Drew Eubanks in the face in time to play the Knicks in this game.)
Then once the Knicks recover from playing two games in two nights, they’ll return to Madison Square Garden to host Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors.
Curry is averaging 28 points per game this season and 25.5 per game over his career in games at The Garden.
THE DONOVAN MITCHELL GAME
March 3 at Cleveland
The Knicks get two days of rest after their three-in-four stretch before flying to Cleveland to face Donovan Mitchell’s Cavaliers.
The Knicks and Cavaliers were once jockeying for the East’s No. 2 seed, but as injuries ravaged the Knicks, Cleveland created separation. The Cavs exited the All-Star break four games in front of the fourth-seeded Knicks and 2.5 games in front of No. 3 Milwaukee.
This is the final game the Knicks will play against the Cavaliers this season. The two teams split an Oct. 31-Nov. 1 road-home back-to-back a game apiece, which means the winner of this game will hold the tiebreaker should the two teams finish with the same record this season.
It’s worth noting the Cavaliers owned the third-easiest schedule in all of basketball entering the All-Star break, according to Positive Residual.
If the Knicks are able to navigate this stretch effectively, they may put themselves in position to compete for the second seed once again.
A TRICKY HOME STAND
March 5 vs. Atlanta, March 8 vs. Orlandi, March 10 vs. Philadelphia, March 12 vs. Philadelphia
It’s no secret Trae Young’s Atlanta Hawks (24-31) have underperformed — which means they are going to be a desperate team in the second half of the season.
A depleted Knicks team can’t afford to be caught lacking.
The Play-In Tournament has given the Hawks something to fight for: Atlanta is the 10th seed and sits six games behind the No. 8 Orlando Magic, but if the Hawks can just stay in front of No. 11 Brooklyn, Young can turn a sudden-death game in the blink of an eye.
The Magic are 2-0 against the Knicks this season and are only three games behind New York in the East standings.
And Embiid isn’t expected to return to the rotation until April, but the Sixers are still a tough team upgrading its roster at the trade deadline in the deal for Buddy Hield.
For a Knicks team without three starters, four straight games — albeit at home — against East playoff competition can have direct seeding implications.
THEN FOUR MORE ON THE ROAD
March 14 at Portland, March 16 at Sacramento, March 18 at Golden State, March 31 at Denver
The Trail Blazers are a young team destined for the Draft Lottery, so the Knicks will need to pounce on the few perceived easy games on the docket.
The following three games, on the other hand, could see the Knicks as underdogs on the road.
The Sacramento Kings are a dark horse contender to come out of the West led by former All-Stars De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. Curry’s Warriors exited the All-Star break clinging onto the West’s 10th seed. Only five games separate Golden State from its conference’s No. 6 seed. The Warriors will look to protect home court against a depleted Knicks team.
And the Nuggets had a bad taste in their mouths after the Knicks beat the defending champs by 38 on Jan. 25. On that night, New York was the final stop for a five-game Nuggets road trip, and many Knicks players believed the champions were gassed.
They won’t be at home.
No one in New York, however, is going to use the schedule as an excuse.
“You have to have the belief that you can win every game,” said Thibodeau. “So whoever is being called upon, get in there and get the job done.”