thelesterlee
The Knicks are currently sitting at the no. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and there should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that New York is going to maintain that position for the remainder of the season and here’s why:
1. Three’s
We’re about a week and a half into the 2021-22 NBA season and this Knicks team has already broken a franchise-record for most made 3’s in a game. They have consistently been in the Top 3 for three pointers made and the only thing taking them from the no. 1 spot is literally just them having a night off.
As of today, the Knicks have 4 players shooting better than 40% from 3 so far. 5 players if you count Quentin Grimes going 1-for-2 from 3 in his early career.
2. Depth
The problem with the Sixers losing Ben Simmons is that they now have an 11-man roster and player 11 is nowhere near as talented as Simmons who is currently at the gym bricking 3’s. The Knicks, however, have 12 guys who can all provide valuable minutes on any given night.
Gone are the days of Elfrid Payton stealing 25 minutes a night doing absolutely fucking nothing on the court. The Knicks have like, 5 guards who could all easily start and drop 20 points. Obi Toppin has stepped up and given important front court minutes after a lackluster rooster campaign last year.
Every player on this roster can ball. Knicks in 4.
3. Vaccine mandates
Prior to opening night, I was confident the Nets wouldn’t actually need Kyrie Irving. When you have Kevin Durant and James Harden on your roster, the last thing you need is more score-first ball handlers. Those two have it covered.
Oh, except James Harden is only averaging 18 points and has some of the lowest free throw totals of his career. After injuring his hamstring last season, it appears as though Harden isn’t fully healthy and runs up and down the court like he’s wearing socks across wet grass.
4. RJ Barrett
RJ Barrett scored a career-high 35 PTS and hit the DAGGER 🔥 pic.twitter.com/c0rXhu2Cnx
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 31, 2021
On Saturday night, RJ Barrett single-handedly strangled the New Orleans Pelicans. He dropped a career-high 35 points while Zion was on the bench snacking on Auntie Anne’s.
Julius Randle is the All-NBA player on this roster. Kemba and Fournier and valuable offensive weapons but the true success of this Knicks team is completely dependent on the development of RJ Barrett who looks ready to join Randle on that All-NBA team.
