BOSTON — There was a similar winning streak two years ago toward the end of a revelatory season, a stretch when it first felt appropriate to believe in Julius Randle.
The Knicks had captured nine straight in April of 2021. It catapulted them to fourth in the East, just before Tom Thibodeau’s squad was quickly humbled by Trae Young in the playoff’s opening round.
Looking back, there were warning signs toward a postseason disappointment. The Knicks had built their record while avoiding injuries, illnesses and interruptions. They were more prepared and available than their opponents during a pandemic.
The empty arenas also seemed to suit Thibodeau’s style of zero distractions.
But then the playoffs arrived, the crowds returned, the intensity boiled, and those advantages were nullified.
All this raises the question:
Is this Knicks’ iteration, which is riding its own nine-game winning streak, better suited for the playoffs?
Randle didn’t want to get too far ahead but acknowledged this much:
“I think we’re a better team,” Randle said. “More talented team.”
That’s impossible to argue. In 2021, the Knicks started Elfrid Payton at point guard and Nerlens Noel at center. Now they have Jalen Brunson, the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Month, and Mitchell Robinson, who Thibodeau lauded again Sunday as the league’s greatest offensive rebounder.
The younger contributors from the 2021 squad — RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley — are two years older and more developed.
They’ve also added Josh Hart, who was acquired about a month ago and still hasn’t lost a game as a member of the Knicks. Depth is a big strength with nine legitimate players.
It took a full year, but the roster recovered from Leon Rose’s terrible free agency of 2021.
“This is my most winningest season in my career so far so I’m extremely happy about that,” Hart said. “I can’t sit there and be like I came in and I did everything. You know what I mean? I think this team was trending upwards and luckily I was able to come in and just fit right into Thibs and that system and into the locker room.”
The system is also different and feels more transferable to a higher competition. In 2021, the Knicks rode their effort to a stifling defense. They outhustled the opponent and kept scores low to mask a lack of individual talent.
Now they boast the league’s 5th rated offense and developed an identity around efficient scoring. Their 7th-ranked net rating underscores a balance on both sides of the ball. For perspective, two years ago they had the 22nd-rated offense.
The current winning streak has placed them 12 games over .500 for the first time in 11 years, all but assuring a playoff spot with a month remaining in the season. A first-round matchup against the Cavaliers is increasingly likely, although there’s still plenty of time for standings jostling.
The Knicks (39-27) face the lowly Hornets (20-46) on Tuesday at MSG before embarking on a four-game Western Conference trip.
“I think we’re a team that can make a run and surprise some people,” Hart said. “We gotta continue building, but that’s something I’m extremely excited about, something that we all talk about a little bit. We try to take it game by game, but that’s definitely in the back of our mind. We want to keep pushing. We don’t want to make the playoffs. We want to make a run in the playoffs. I think that’s the biggest thing and I think we have the capability to do that.”
Still, an obvious concern: these Knicks have very little playoff experience. Among the players in the rotation, only Brunson has logged more than five postseason games. Nobody is older than 28.
These are attributes (being younger and more available) that can bolster regular-season success but lose veracity in the playoffs. The Cavaliers are also young and relatively inexperienced, which may make that matchup more desirable.
And the Knicks won’t be blindsided by the playoffs this time, not like in 2021. They at least know what’s coming.
“Looking back and thinking back about that series, there are things we could have done better,” Barrett said. “Experience now will help us as well. Hopefully when we get there. So that was a good series for us to know what to expect.”
