3 Knicks on Thin Ice Heading Into the Playoffs

The New York Knicks exceeded all expectations this season, winning 50 games and earning the second seed in the Eastern Conference. They are trying to go farther than they did last season when they lost to the Miami Heat in the second round.

Despite not having Julius Randle for the postseason, the Knicks are in an excellent position to make a deep run. They play extremely well together on both ends of the floor and the Eastern Conference is weaker than it has been in a while.

Even though the vibes are currently excellent in New York, there are still a few players who are on thin ice. Things will have to change for these names in the playoffs for them to prove their worth to the organization going forward. Let's take a look.

Alec Burks

In his previous Knicks tenure, Alec Burks was a favorite of Tom Thibodeau. He relied on him heavily and played him extensive minutes, and Burks delivered impressive offensive performances off the bench. He was effective as a sixth man, leading bench units with his shot generation and dynamic scoring.

Since being acquired by the Detroit Pistons mid-season, however, he has been a shell of himself. At age 32, Burks is two steps slower, struggling to create separation and generate good shots for himself and his teammates. He has appeared in 23 games in New York, averaging 13.5 minutes and 6.5 points per game while shooting a miserable 30.7% from the field.

As the season progressed, Burks started playing less and less for the Knicks, eventually falling out of rotation. It is hard to see him getting significant minutes in the playoffs unless there is an injury to a rotation player. This makes him an easy candidate to be gone in the offseason.