With Things Breaking so Perfectly for the Knicks … Is IT Title Time in New York?

The Knicks’ Unstoppable Run

Remember that moment nearly a month ago when the New York Knicks were down 2-1 to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the NBA playoffs? When Mikal Bridges couldn’t make a shot, when Jalen Brunson was going to tank the draft stock of every small guard from here to eternity, and when Mike Brown’s rotations were taking years off Ben Stiller’s life? It’s safe to say those questions have been replaced by a new one: Are the Knicks ever going to lose again?

Knicks’ Dominance in the East

The physical and mental toll of the Western Conference playoffs is already manifesting in injuries, but for the Eastern Conference’s lower-seeded teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, things are looking tougher. When you watch these two teams slug it out, it feels like both are playing a higher level of basketball than anything we’re watching in the East.

Knicks’ Path to the Finals

Meanwhile, the Knicks are pretty much just… cruising through the East. After that initial scare against Atlanta, they’ve broken the spirit of the Philadelphia 76ers with an embarrassing sweep and made things simple against the Cleveland Cavaliers because they’re simply a better team.

A Perfect Setup for the Knicks

Though it took a crazy fourth-quarter comeback to pull out Game 1 in overtime, New York’s slow start looked more like a product of rust after being off for nine days. Coming back Thursday with a rock-solid 109-93 victory seemed like far more of a statement about the gap between these two teams and the likelihood of the Knicks taking care of business.

Honestly, it would be hard to draw up a more favorable setup for New York to win its first championship since 1973. Unless something unexpected or extremely unlucky happens over the next several days, the Knicks will be in the Finals while expending minimal energy over the first three rounds and playing their best basketball of the entire season.

Historic Opportunity or Just a Fluke?

The Knicks have been that dominant for a few weeks now. Obviously this stuff is all precarious in the playoffs, but when you frame it that way, it’s not a stretch to suggest the Knicks and their fans should consider it a disappointment if they aren’t parading the Larry O’Brien Trophy down Broadway in mid-June.

Everyone is a sprained ankle to the wrong player away from losing their chance. But that’s also why the Knicks’ efficiency thus far has put them in position to pull off the inconceivable.

All things being equal, they are not a better team than Oklahoma City and may not be as good as the Spurs. But there’s a real chance they’ll be fresher, healthier, and playing better heading into the Finals.

If the playoffs turn into a war of attrition, the Knicks are way ahead of the game. If you project the next three or four years, it’s hard to imagine they’ll ever have another chance like this.

Oklahoma City isn’t going anywhere, San Antonio is only getting older and stronger, and other contenders will emerge in the East.

It’s easy to feel shaky about this iteration of the Knicks because of Brunson’s defense or Karl-Anthony Towns shrinking in playoffs past or the possibility that Bridges might disappear. But those feel like stereotypes from a different time. With the roll these Knicks are on, New York fans not only have every right to start dreaming about the mountaintop; they should start thinking about expecting it.