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Can 'Shallow' Knicks Win 50 Games?

The New York Knicks don't have much depth, but can they be better than they were a year ago?

Jeremy Brener

Jan 6, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) looks to post up against Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black (0) in the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Jan 6, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) looks to post up against Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black (0) in the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
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The New York Knicks won 50 games last season, and they are currently on pace to break that mark with the team halfway towards that goal before officially reaching their 41st game of the year.

The Knicks have faced some recent criticism over playing a small rotation, and that has questioned whether the team can have success in the second half of the year.

However, Bleacher Report writer Dan Favale believes the Knicks can still reach that 50-win threshold, projecting a 52-30 final record.

"There are kernels of truth to every form of (hypothetical) skepticism. New York is, in fact, shallow. But adding bodies doesn't mean head coach Tom Thibodeau will use them. The defense is neither hopeless nor fixed. New York is 10th in points allowed per possession since Thanksgiving but 30th against top-10 offenses (22nd if you filter out opening night) and 19th versus offenses No. 11 through 20," Favale writes.

"Dismissing these concerns when looking at their title chances would be foolish. Barring catastrophic injuries, though, the Knicks are built to remain one of the East's three best regular-season teams."

The only teams with records projected higher than the Knicks are the Oklahoma City Thunder, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, putting New York in line to finish third in the Eastern Conference going into the playoffs.

The Knicks still have a long way to go before reaching the postseason, so they have to continue playing the schedule game-by-game without looking too far into the future.

If the Knicks can find a way to get back on track and evade this bump in the road, they should be going into the postseason with a lot of confidence coming their way.

The Knicks will return to the court tomorrow night to take on the Thunder at home. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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