It’s been quite a while since the New York Knicks were a force in the Eastern Conference.
They were close to that status during the Carmelo Anthony – Amar’e Stoudemire days, yet LeBron James and the Big 3 constantly got in their way.
Then, it seemed like Tom Thibodeau had finally cracked the code and led them to a top-5 finish a couple of seasons ago, but Julius Randle’s regression last season made it all feel like a bit of a fluke.
That’s why several fans and analysts were still hesitant to acknowledge that they’ve been legit this season.
Even Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley were unfazed when they hit eight straight wins a couple of weeks ago, predicting it was just a matter of time before they regressed to the mean.
Fast-forward to today and the Knicks are still in the playoff picture and playing solid basketball, so Shaq had no choice but to tip his hat off to them during TNT’s NBA broadcast.
“Okay Knicks”
— Shaq when TNT shows the Eastern Conference standings pic.twitter.com/4wyiXIBYpn
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 13, 2023
Jalen Brunson’s addition has given this team a breath of fresh air and the true starting-caliber point guard they have been craving for years.
He’s playing like a borderline All-Star, with averages of nearly 22 points and over six assists per game, pulling the strings of the offense and helping Randle get to his spots.
So, even though it still seems like they need a star to take that leap forward, this team is just 7.5 games behind the first seed in the East, so maybe it’s time we all start paying attention.
NEXT: Is Jalen Brunson The Knicks' Best Scorer?