Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau has regularly dismissed justified reasons when addressing his team’s shortcomings, encouraging them to push forward and not make excuses despite very real obstacles. His resonant mantra has been “we have enough to win” when injuries have indisputably hampered them, including in last year’s playoffs.
The Knicks ended their Eastern Conference semifinals series versus the Indiana Pacers last May at Madison Square Garden, a 4-3 series defeat, with center Mitchell Robinson sidelined after re-injuring his surgically repaired left ankle in Game 1. Forward OG Anunoby sat out Games 3 through 7 after sustaining a left hamstring strain in Game 2. And guard Jalen Brunson fractured his left hand in the 130-109 Game 7 loss.
The Knicks had already lost guard-forward Bojan Bogdanovic, who was a solid contributor off of the bench, to a season ending foot injury in Game 4 of their opening round series against the Philadelphia 76ers. Bogdanovic was traded to the Nets last June in the Mikal Bridges deal.
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Now as they come back tonight from the All Star break hosting the Chicago Bulls at MSG, the question of if they have enough to compete for the Eastern Conference championship with the conference leading Cleveland Cavaliers, which are 44-10 and facing the Nets in Brooklyn tonight, and the 39-16 No. 2 seed Boston Celtics in Philadelphia tonight to play the 76ers, is still open. The Knicks are third in East at 36-18 and won their last two games before the break.
A tape measure will come soon as they meet the Cavaliers and Celtics on the road tomorrow and Sunday, respectively.
“This is a good chance. You know, I want our players to get away, re-energized and refocus and then come back to head down the stretch,” said Thibodeau after the Knicks’ 149-148 overtime victory at home over the Atlanta Hawks eight days ago, their last game prior to the All-Star hiatus. “There’s been a lot of fight and determination.”
Getting healthy and whole is the Knicks’ first order of business if they expect to contend with the Cavs and Celtics. Anunoby, who is slated to play tonight, has been shelved since spraining his right foot versus the Los Angeles Lakers on February 1. Robinson has been working his way to a return following his second surgery — the first was in December 2023 — on his left ankle last May. Early next month has been the reported goal for Robinson to be back in the rotation.
Even with a full complement of players, questions will persist as to whether the Knicks have the quality of depth to match the long benches of the Celtics and the Cavs.