Why Knicks Will Be 'Dangerous' Once Healthy
The New York Knicks are in a good position to make some noise in the playoffs but they probably won't be capable of a deep run until they get fully healthy.
New York (33-22) sits in fourth place in the Eastern Conference as the NBA's post-All-Star break slate begins on Thursday but dropped four in a row and five of their last six entering the hiatus. The Knicks had only nine men healthy for their last game, a 118-100 loss to the Orlando Magic on Feb. 14.
Trying to describe every NBA team's post-All-Star forecast in five words or less, Bleacher Report needed only to describe the state of the Knicks ("Healthy Bodies Wanted, Please").
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
"Just when the Knicks looked like they were rolling toward a No. 2 or 3 seed in the East, OG Anunoby joined Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson on the shelf with an injury," Greg Swartz writes. "Now, a four-game losing streak has New York clinging to the No. 4 seed, with the Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers not far behind."
"The additions of Bojan Bogdanović and Alec Burks will help, especially since Evan Fournier was simply collecting dust. When the Knicks get their core back, this will be an extremely dangerous team."
While the Knicks will get Bogdanovic and Donte DiVincenzo back when they return on Thursday in Philadelphia (7 p.m. ET, MSG), neither Anunoby nor Randle has any active timetable, denying them two of their three best players at a crucial point of the season.
Barring a complete collapse, the Knicks will be in the playoffs, but who makes it to the postseason portion remains to be seen. If they're able to get at least somewhat close to full strength, the Knicks boast one of the deepest rotations in the league. Time will tell if they're able to get a few games together to build that chemistry before the tournament.
