NBA Power Rankings: New York Knicks Falling After Losses to East's Elite?
The New York Knicks have taken a few blows lately, both on the scoreboard and on the injury report.
With their NBA In-Season Tournament slate giving them opportunities to face elite competition, the Knicks (13-9) dropped consecutive games to Eastern Conference leaders Milwaukee and Boston. The Knicks are now 3-9 against teams with active winning records, including 0-5 against the Bucks and Celtics.
New York recovered to take down the Toronto Raptors on Monday but that came hours after they learned starting center Mitchell Robinson would miss at least the next 8-to-10 weeks with an ankle injury.
Isaiah Hartenstein (R) and the Knicks were unable to stop Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics last Friday night
Eric Canha, USA TODAY SPORTS
The culmination of misfortune has the Knicks moving out of the top 10 and down 10 spots to 19th in CBS Sports' latest power rankings.
"The Knicks got the short end of the In-Season Tournament stick, losing to the Bucks in the quarterfinal and then being matched up with the Celtics on Friday," CBS Sports' Colin Ward-Henninger writes. "After falling to Boston, the Knicks bounced back to beat the Raptors on Monday. The brutal news is that Mitchell Robinson will miss at least two months with an ankle issue, but Isaiah Hartenstein appeared up to the task against Toronto, notching 11 points, eight rebounds, two steals, and a block in 27 minutes."
The Knicks will have to adjust to life without Robinson for a while, and that could severely harm the team's interior defense. Hartenstein will take over the important minutes while Jericho Sims slid into the starting five.
This week sees the Knicks embark upon a five-game road trip, one that begins in Utah on Wednesday night (9 p.m. ET, MSG). The trek is tied for the longest on the Knicks' schedule this season and will take them into a Christmas doubleheader with the Bucks on Dec. 23 and 25.
After the visit to Salt Lake City, the Knicks visit a Phoenix Suns group slowly returning to full strength. A pair in Tinseldown to face the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers on Saturday and Monday respectively before the Knicks return to New York to face the Brooklyn Nets.
