Newfound Depth Helping Knicks Climb Power Rankings

The New York Knicks look about as comfortable as any team in the game entering the new year.

They've asserted themselves as the regular season powerhouse that they strive to dominate as, boasting all of their best attributes from their most recent full campaign with a little extra versatility than some fans may remember from the Tom Thibodeau administration.

New York's led by one of the most well-balanced starting lineups in basketball, but that's not to say that they're top-heavy. All-Star voters came out to support these Knicks, a meaningful show of support after early-season adjustments led new head coach Mike Brown right back to the starting-five that the public knows and loves.

It helps that he's discovered impactful bench contributors on the roster's margins, even though Thibodeau's final days would suggest that he had very little bench talent to work with. Unproven prospects and longtime benchwarmers have come through huge over the last three months in easing the burdens on the usual starters, helping to mount a 23-9 record while dealing with the same rate of background injuries that every team's plagued with.

Earning Respect with Depth

For the flexibility with which they've approached stacking wins, they were awarded with the No. 3 spot in ESPN's power rankings, further solidifying the mark that they'd already been given as one of the NBA's premier squads.

"Here come the Knicks, no?" Vincent Goodwill wrote. "They've pulled to within a game of top-seeded Detroit in the East with a couple of ugly wins on the road against New Orleans and Atlanta. Doing it with utility man Josh Hart out with an ankle injury delivers more credit to Mike Brown & Co.

New York Knicks Head Coach Mike Brown and Guards Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart — Nov 3, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown gives instructions to New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) and New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) during the second half against the Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Boland-Imagn Images | Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

"It's worth pointing out that Brown has squeezed production not just from Tyler Kolek, but Mohamed Diawara in New Orleans (18 points in 18 minutes) and Kevin McCullar Jr. in Atlanta (13 points, eight rebounds in 23 minutes). The mandate was to develop the bench, and so far, Brown is achieving just that."

Those cheap role players, each of which still on their rookie contracts, have learned to adapt to the Knicks' system after taking their licks early. Kolek has looked closer to the backup point guard of the future than anything that New York's had since Immanuel Quickley, McCullar's played increasingly like a poor man's Hart due to his motor and do-it-all wing defense and Diawara continues demonstrating all of the tools that the Knicks honed in on in selecting him 51st overall this past summer.

Contenders need depth, as the Knicks learned the hard way in coming up short in last spring's Eastern Conference Finals. Brown's willingness to acclimate the youth into his already-deep rotation of known veterans has only added to the credit he got for New York's recent NBA Cup win, as he has his new team approaching the innermost circle of championship favorites.

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!