Stephen A. Smith, a man whose Knicks fandom is as loud as his suits, isn't popping champagne corks just yet. Despite New York ripping off seven straight wins, Smith remains a skeptic. His primary beef? The quality of competition, particularly the Detroit Pistons, who accounted for two of those victories. He's got a point, even if it stings a little for the Garden faithful.
Look, the Knicks have been playing some good basketball. Jalen Brunson is an absolute monster, averaging 28.7 points and 6.7 assists during this streak. He dropped 45 against the Blazers and followed it up with 30 against the Kings. Donte DiVincenzo has been lights-out from deep, hitting 4.6 threes per game at a 44.2% clip over the same stretch. They're moving the ball, playing defense, and looking like a cohesive unit. But then you glance at the schedule.
The seven-game run started with a 119-106 win over the Orlando Magic on March 17. A solid win, sure. Then came the Pistons, twice, with a 124-99 blowout on March 25 and a much tighter 113-111 escape on March 26. The Pistons, as everyone knows, set an NBA record this season with 28 consecutive losses. They are not a measuring stick for contenders. New York also beat the Raptors, who are missing Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett, and the Warriors, who are battling for a play-in spot in the West. Their most impressive win was probably the 105-93 victory over the Sacramento Kings, but even that team has been wildly inconsistent.
Here's the thing: good teams beat bad teams. The Knicks are doing that. They're 44-28, sitting in the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference, just a game behind the Cavaliers. They've won 11 of their last 13 games. But Smith's caution isn't entirely unfounded. They haven't exactly been going toe-to-toe with the Celtics, Bucks, or Nuggets in this stretch. The competition hasn't been top-tier. It's like a boxer racking up KOs against journeymen before facing a real contender.
Jalen Brunson's ascension to legitimate superstar status is the biggest story of this Knicks season. He's carrying this team on his back, consistently delivering in the clutch. His 34-point, 5-assist performance against the Kings on March 23 was a masterclass in offensive efficiency. Isaiah Hartenstein has been a revelation at center, especially with Mitchell Robinson still working his way back. Hartenstein grabbed 14 rebounds against the Warriors on March 18 and has been a key defensive anchor. The chemistry is there, and coach Tom Thibodeau has them playing hard every single night.
Still, the nagging question remains: can this team consistently beat the league's elite when it matters most? They lost to the Celtics by 17 points on February 24, and fell to the Thunder by 12 on March 3. Those are the kinds of teams they'll need to overcome in the playoffs. The return of OG Anunoby, who played 29 minutes and scored 14 points against the Raptors on March 27 after missing a month, is huge for their defensive ceiling. But even with Anunoby back, the depth is still a concern. One injury to Brunson, and this entire operation crumbles. That's not a slight on the other guys, it's just the reality of how reliant they are on him.
My hot take? The Knicks are a second-round exit waiting to happen. They'll get past the first round, probably in six games, but once they run into Boston or Milwaukee, their lack of consistent secondary scoring and overall star power beyond Brunson will be exposed.