The Knicks have had some tough sledding to open up the season as their 5-6 record dictates. After just one game away from an Eastern Conference Final berth last season, the new look Knicks have struggled to figure it out through their first 11 games.
New York is working through some growing pains to start the season as they experiment with their newly developed team from this offseason. With the addition of stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, and the subtractions of Julius Randle and others, the team might take a little bit to gel together.
Despite their 5-6 start, the Knicks still find themselves in the top half of the Eastern Conference standings. Most of the teams around the are also experiencing similar difficulties. Now would be a perfect time to capitalize off of this and build a steady lead in the standings early in the calendar year.
One of the key flashing concerns the Knicks have is their depth. Outside of their starting five and Miles McBride, no other Knick has really contributed all too much. However, they are experiencing some injuries with Mitchell Robinson and Precious Achiwua sidelined.
Ultimately, once these guys return New York will be in much better shape, but some players need to step up in both of their absences. I think it would really be beneficial to see a more increased role from rookies Tyler Kolek and Pacome Dadiet.
We have yet to really see what they are capable of and the only way we can see is if their minutes are heightened. The best teams in the NBA not only have a great caliber starting five, but also key guys that come off the bench and play good and meaningful minutes.
The Knicks will take on the Brooklyn Nets in back to back games coming up and one more home game against the Wizards before heading west. For New York, these games must be taken advantage of. It will go a long way in gaining momentum for their upcoming challenging road trip.
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