We take a look at the updated NBA standings and check out where the New York Knicks are.
The New York Knicks season has been a lost one. There were playoff aspirations coming into the season, but the team fell woefully short of those expectations. The Knicks have essentially been eliminated from the postseason for weeks, but it became official last week.
With the postseason officially unattainable, focus was turned to the offseason in preparation for the 2017-18 season. The one positive to such a poor season for the Knicks is that they own their first round pick. In what is shaping up as a pretty loaded draft, the Knicks have a good chance of adding an impact player in the first round.
Finding a player to grow alongside Kristaps Porzingis has been a goal for the Knicks. They can accomplish that goal this season. With early mock drafts and draft boards, getting into the top-seven should be the goal for the Knicks.
More from New York Knicks
- New York Knicks Fall to Eighth After NBA Draft Lottery
- New York Knicks: Players to Draft in Worst-Case Lottery Scenario
- New York Knicks: Three Players Who Should Thrive Under Tom Thibodeau
- Is Devin Booker to the New York Knicks Realistic?
- New York Knicks: Tom Thibodeau Officially Hired as Head Coach
There are a ton of great point guards entering the draft this year. Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball, and Dennis Smith are in the top tier. De’Aaron Fox is quickly moving up draft boards and international prospect Frank Ntilikina is right there with him. Jayson Tatum, Josh Jackson, and Jonathan Isaac are the top prospects on the wings.
Any of those players would be excellent additions to the Knicks; they need help seemingly everywhere but power forward and center. The Knicks have to seemingly land in the top-seven to land any of those players. The best way to do that is by losing games, improving their chances at winning the lottery.
As things currently stand, the Knicks have the sixth-worst record in the NBA. They are right where they want to be, but last week they were right in the thick of things to have the fourth worst record. They have won three of their last five games, and as a result, they have moved up the standings.
The Knicks have a legitimate chance to finish outside the top-seven in the draft with how they have been playing and the performance of the teams around them. They are only three games worse than the New Orleans Pelicans, who currently hold the 10th worst record in th NBA.
The Knicks have a difficult schedule to finish the season. They host the Washington Wizards before traveling to take on the Memphis Grizzlies and hosting the Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers to finish the season.
Three of those teams are in the thick of the postseason fighting for positioning, while the 76ers are playing for lottery balls as well. The Knicks have played better of late, defeating playoff hopefuls in the Bulls and Miami Heat. They are playing loosely and without pressure, which has seemed to improve their performance.
Next: New York Knicks 30 Greatest Players Of All-Time
The players will always come out and try. But, for the betterment of the franchise’s future, losing games is the way to go. The Knicks need to finish as high up in the lottery as possible to add an impact player to go alongside Porzingis. If they miss out on adding a top point guard in this draft they will regret winning meaningless games the final weeks of the season.