NBA Power Rankings: Injured Knicks Slightly Rise As All-Star Break Ends
The New York Knicks limped into the All-Star break, losing their last four games and five of their final six heading into the Indianapolis-based exhibition.
With regular season action set to resume on Thursday, the Knicks are still dealing with several injured regulars. Even though some like OG Anunoby and Julius Randle aren't expected back any time soon, some returning to the fold (i.e. Donte DiVincenzo) and trade deadline acquisitions Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks still offer one of the deeper rotations in the NBA.
That's why CBS Sports placed the Knicks at seventh in its weekly power rankings, four spots up from the prior edition, despite their recent struggles.
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"In just a brief glimpse, the Knicks' starting lineup of Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, OG Anunoby, Julius Randle and Isaiah Hartenstein has a pristine net rating of plus-17 points per 100 possessions," CBS Sports's Colin-Ward Henninger writes. "That should give the Knicks and their fans confidence that if everyone's healthy, they have a shot to beat anyone in a playoff series."
Knicks fans should be praying for their core to return healthy enough for the postseason, but the team will have some growing pains and some issues to iron out before the playoffs begin if it's planning on a deep run. Less than two months and only 27 games isn't much time to pull that off but the Knicks likely hope to have their core log some crucial minutes before the final stages.
In the return from the break, the Knicks are back in action on Thursday against the Philadelphia 76ers (7 p.m. ET, MSG) before facing the Boston Celtics at home on Saturday.
