Are Knicks 'For Real' After OG Anunoby Trade? Jamal Crawford Answers

Jamal Crawford knows what it's like to be traded to the New York Knicks. What does he think of the OG Anunoby trade?

The New York Knicks are playing their best basketball of the year, winning their last five games since trading for OG Anunoby. As it stands, New York (22-15) is the only NBA team undefeated in the new calendar year, the latest victory led by 23 Anunoby points as it took down the Portland Trail Blazers 112-84 on Wednesday. 

Some are still questioning how good the Knicks can be, including 20-year NBA veteran and former Knick Jamal Crawford, who addressed the team's prospects in a Q&A on NBA.com.

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"They’re better after the trade, for sure," Crawford wrote. "I don’t know if they’ve reached the “for real” (or) contender status yet. But they definitely improved and the trade was needed. I think they’re top six in the East now."

Crawford would certainly know about making an impact for the Knicks: the tenured backcourt threat was traded from Chicago to New York shortly before the start of the 2004-05 season and averaged 17.2 points and 4.3 assists over four-plus tours.

The Knicks are currently tied for fourth in the Eastern Conference entering Thursday but there's hardly any breathing room: only one game separates fourth and eighth place in the East, with the Knicks currently lagging behind Indiana due to a tiebreaker.

While the Knicks have looked strong in the five games with Anunoby, there's a lot of season left to play and New York must stay consistent over a longer period to truly be taken seriously in the Eastern Conference. The vision is there and the goal is attainable, but there is still a lot that can happen between now and April with 45 games left on the docket.

Knicks, Julius Randle Continue to 'Feast' on Lesser Competition

Anunoby has opened up a lot for New York, but a five-game stretch doesn't define a season. If this continues for the next 10, 15, 20 games, that's also not enough. This has to last through and beyond the regular season ... and beyond ... for the Knicks to be seen as a true contender.

The Knicks are back in action tomorrow night against the Dallas Mavericks (8:30 p.m., MSG).