Knicks Destined for Playoff Rematch With Heat?

At the rate things are going, the New York Knicks might not have to wait long for postseason revenge against the Miami Heat.

Two months and 30 games into this New York Knicks season, things are starting to look oddly familiar.

The Knicks slid into the fifth spot on a hypothetical 2024 playoff bracket assembled by Bleacher Report, where a familiar foe would await: the hypothetical first-round match comes against the fourth-seeded Miami Heat, setting up a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference Semifinal series. 

New York and Miami reignited their long-standing postseason rivalry in style last spring, with the eighth-ranked Heat prevailing in a six-game set en route to the NBA Finals.

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Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz believes that the Knicks' adjustments from last season could give Miami a better challenge, but that they must fill the lingering holes brought about by injury and transactional shortcomings.

"Losing Mitchell Robinson for the season to ankle surgery hurts, although don't expect the Knicks to fall out of the playoffs in the East as long as Jalen Brunson is around," Swartz wrote. "This team still has a lot to sort out, from finding a replacement for Robinson to making a decision on Immanuel Quickley's future. Expecting a leap from RJ Barrett may be foolish five years into his career as well."

"Still, with Brunson and Julius Randle, there's plenty of offensive firepower on this team. Josh Hart does whatever is needed, and Donte DiVincenzo (44.2 percent shooting from three) has been a nice pickup. This roster is in desperate need of a trade, although we have enough belief in Brunson to project a No. 5 seed by the time the season ends."

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The Knicks earned a sliver of revenge against the Heat earlier this season: in the first of three meetings on Nov. 24, New York erased a 21-point deficit en route to a 100-98 victory at Madison Square Garden, one that played a major role in securing their wild card bid in the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament. Miami returns to the Garden on Jan. 27. 

In the meantime, the Knicks (17-13) face the Orlando Magic on Friday night at Kia Center (7 p.m. ET, MSG).