Once again, the Knicks were outclassed by superior Eastern Conference competition.
Less than 48 hours after being dismantled by the Cavaliers in a 37-point loss, 142-105, New York suffered its second consecutive humiliating loss, falling 118-105 on the road against the Celtics.
The Cavaliers (46-10, first in Eastern Conference) and Celtics (41-16, second in Eastern Conference) are the East’s best teams. New York’s inability to compete against both means this team’s ceiling is likely the East semifinals.
After going all-in to compete for an NBA title this offseason by acquiring forward Mikal Bridges and center Karl-Anthony Towns, being unable to advance past the second round of the playoffs for the third consecutive season would be a monumental failure.
And that’s precisely where New York appears to be headed.
The Knicks are 0-5 against the Cavs and Celtics this season, being outscored by an average of 21.2 points per game. Their defense has struggled each time, allowing an average of 126.6 points on 52.6 percent shooting. Boston and Cleveland have averaged 19.2 threes per game on 44.2 percent shooting from downtown.
With those two teams in firm control of the East’s top two seeds, New York must get past one of them — barring a monumental first-round upset — to reach the conference finals, and likely both to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
What’s more likely is the team will be out of the playoff picture by mid-May and facing significant questions about its future direction.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau has done a great job of making the Knicks (37-20, third in Eastern Conference) respectable again, but the team might need a new voice at the top to get over the hump.
As much as the team’s chemistry is positive, New York must also consider whether the Villanova core of Bridges, point guard Jalen Brunson and forward Josh Hart can make the strides necessary to win an NBA championship.
While that remains to be determined, what’s immediately apparent is that the status quo won’t get it done. The Knicks need to make changes to be a serious contender. The rest of the season could determine how drastic those alterations will be.
