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The New York Knicks are sitting with a 35-20 record and a very real shot at a championship as they wait out the All-Star break.
The team, led by head coach Mike Brown, won the NBA Cup in December and proved themselves to be one of the top offensive forces in the Eastern Conference.
However, if you look beyond the trophy and the win total, you'll see a team that, having solved some issues, also exposed its weaknesses, which could very well limit their playoff success.
With the season's second half nearly upon them, the Knicks are unsure whether they are a real title contender or not.
They've showed their ability to score, but it's still a puzzle how they measure up in defense and if they have the bench strength to get through a seven-game series in the playoffs.
What They Have Proven
Brunson is Elite
Jalen Brunson has quieted any remaining skeptics with his incredible performance. His third All-Star selection in a row is a confirmation of what Knicks fans have long believed: he is a key player for the franchise.
Brunson is putting up very impressive numbers this season with an average of 27 points and 6.1 assists per game.
Moreover, his NBA Cup MVP win, in which he averaged 33.2 points across six games, was a perfect demonstration of his ability to perform under pressure.
Knicks fans can finally celebrate the arrival of their long-awaited superstar after two decades.
Offensive Firepower
New York's offensive attack has really been extraordinary. The Knicks are second in the league in offensive rating at 118.9 and third in net rating at 6.21.
Their NBA Cup-winning run showed they are capable of delivering in elimination scenarios, with OG Anunoby and the supporting cast stepping up alongside Brunson.
Brown's pace-and-space system has revealed the offensive side of players that Tom Thibodeau's grinding style never could.
Regular Season Success
With a 35-20 record while sitting in third place in the Atlantic Division, the Knicks are definitely in the running for a championship.
They have consistently beaten quality opponents when healthy, and their offensive ceiling might be the highest in the Eastern Conference.
What Remains Unknown
Towns' Adaptation Issues in Brown's System
Karl-Anthony Towns is performing at one of the lowest levels of his whole career when it comes to shooting, as he has only been able to convert 35.8 percent of his three-pointers.
During a nine-game stretch from January 14 to January 30, Towns scored a pitiful 15.3 points per game and only managed to shoot 41.6 percent from the field. The Knicks also lost 9 of the 11 games at one point last month and fell to third in the East as a result.
The main reason for the team's offensive stagnation at the worst times has been Towns's failure to adapt to Brown's system.
Towns has recently bounced back with better production; however, his biggest weakness is still having to deal with continuous foul trouble.
His tendency to pick up careless fouls forces passive stretches, limiting playoff reliability when the stakes rise the highest.
Health Questions
It only took one injury to derail the whole operation. Mitchell Robinson has been able to play only 39 games out of 55 this season due to chronic ankle problems.
Miles McBride is still out indefinitely after undergoing core muscle surgery. If Robinson or Towns misses considerable playoff time, the Knicks simply do not have enough frontcourt depth to make up for their absences.
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