NBA Power Rankings: The New York Knicks had a tough week from January 25th-31st because of injuries; did they drop in the rankings as a result?
Each week over at ESPN, they release their NBA Power Rankings that are written by Marc Stein. Here at Empire Writes Back, we will have our weekly reaction to where the New York Knicks are ranked by Stein and a little feedback on the rankings as a whole.
It was another underwhelming week for the Knicks, as they were still feeling the effects from some injuries to their players. Carmelo Anthony missed two games, while Kristaps Porzingis missed one and Jose Calderon missed three. It resulted in some lineup combinations we have not seen much of this season, and a Knicks team that looked out of sync at times without three of their starters in the lineup.
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For the week, the Knicks went 1-3, losing to the Oklahoma State Thunder, Toronto Raptors and Golden State Warriors, but defeated the lowly Phoenix Suns. It resulted in the Knicks dropping three spots in the ESPN NBA Power Rankings, going from 18th to 21st.
The Knicks held tough with the Thunder, but in the end it came down to the fact that they had Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, and the Knicks were without their go-to guy in Anthony. The Knicks did hold a fourth quarter lead, the fifth time that has happened without Anthony in the lineup this season, but once again the Knicks fell without their best player.
The loss to the Raptors was probably the worst loss the Knicks took this season without Anthony in the lineup, as it was the only one they were not leading or tied going into the fourth quarter of. But, they were also without Porzingis and Calderon in that game, so not having two of their top scorers was just too much to overcome.
The game against the Suns was much needed, as the Knicks got Anthony and Porzingis back and beat the visiting Suns easily. The Suns, like the Knicks, know what it’s like to deal with injuries, as they have seen their top guns Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight miss extended time with more DNP’s on the horizon.
But even with Anthony and Porzingis back in the lineup Sunday against the Warriors, the Knicks did not have enough. They became the latest victim to the machine that is the Golden State Warriors, as the Knicks held the Warriors to 18 points in the first quarter but still lost the game 116-95. The efficiency that the Warriors play with offensively and defensively is just not something the Knicks are ready to contend with at this time.
The Knicks are still within striking distance of a playoff spot though even with injuries derailing them a bit in recent weeks. They have a chance to get back on track this week with three out of four games at home, starting with the Boston Celtics on Tuesday. After that, they will travel to take on the Detroit Pistons Thursday before hosting the Memphis Grizzlies Friday and the Denver Nuggets on Super Bowl Sunday.
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The Knicks should have a chance at winning all of those games, as they have a 2-2 record against the Celtics, Pistons and Grizzlies this season. Only three games out of a playoff spot, picking up victories over teams ahead of them in the standings in the Celtics and Pistons would be huge for their playoff push.