Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports

NBA Standings Forecast Wary On Knicks After In-Season Tournament

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Jonah Morgan | Last updated Dec 11, 2023 6:00 AM ET

Now that the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament has concluded, the basketball world's focus turns to what the more traditional playoff bracket could look like.

Bleacher Report forecasted the post-IST standings in a Sunday post and New York Knicks fans might not like what they see: the list has the Knicks winning 47 games, matching last year's output.

While that's nothing to be ashamed of on paper (considering the Knicks haven't won 47 games in consecutive seasons in over two decades), it's probably not what they envisioned in year four of the Tom Thibodeau era. A tough week against the Eastern Conference's finest (featuring double-figure losses to Milwaukee and Boston) might've shown how far they are from true contention.

But analysis from Dan Favale says that the Knicks' relative downgrade is more a result of a "shifting landscape" in the East, noting that the Knicks have done plenty of things right over the de facto first quarter of the season.

"Most statistical indicators nonetheless portray the Knicks as a borderline elite team...minus their record against above-.500 squads," Favale wrote. "They are sitting around the top 10 (in) both offensive and defensive efficiency. There's little reason to doubt either standing."

"Few teams are deeper than these Knicks. That depth is a weapon and part of their charm. Their path to that next tier of contender isn't quite clear—not in a damning way, not in a they-have-to-make a trade way, just in a weird, they-feel-one-archetype-of-player-or-leap-short way."

The main thing that the Knicks have going for them is their next-man-up mentality. For instance, when Julius Randle was struggling to start the season, players like RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson helped keep the team afloat.

For better or worse, they might have to embrace that philosophy in the near future: while the team appears to have avoided a Jalen Brunson injury catastrophe, Robinson is reportedly set to undergo additional testing on an ankle injured in Friday's loss in Boston and will miss at least the next game against Toronto on Monday night (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: