Knicks Slip in Midseason Power Rankings

The New York Knicks have taken a tumble as the league approaches its midway point.

Jan 12, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks have had a rocky start in January, going just 3-4 in the new year so far.

The losses include a pair to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but also adds two gimmes against the Orlando Magic and Chicago Bulls.

The up-and-down movement has put the Knicks at No. 6 in NBA.com writer John Schuhmann's power rankings, two spots lower than the previous week.

"The Knicks lost four out of five games for the first time, getting clobbered by the Thunder on Friday. But they responded with one of their best (and most important) wins of the season, eviscerating the Bucks’ defense on Sunday afternoon," Schuhmann writes.

"The Knicks are just four games into a stretch where they’re playing 12 of 14 at home, with the only road games being short trips to Philadelphia and Brooklyn. They’ll be at a rest disadvantage against the Pistons on Monday when a win would give the franchise its best record through 41 games in the last 28 seasons (since they were 29-12 in 1996-97)."

The only teams to rank ahead of the Knicks were the Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics, the aforementioned Thunder and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who remain at the top spot with a 33-5 record.

The Knicks have plenty of opportunity with this home-heavy schedule for the rest of January to recover from this rough start in the new year, and the more they can have that opportunity to shine, the better.

The Knicks return to the court tonight to face off against the Detroit Pistons before heading to the City of Brotherly Love to take on the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. Then, the Knicks quickly return home for a date with Julius Randle in his return to the Garden as the Minnesota Timberwolves come to town on Friday.

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