After that trade for Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns in the offseason, there were indeed high hopes that the New York Knicks would be finally bringing in a new dynamic group that could actually bring the fire against the best teams in the league. And despite being one of the hyped favorites to win, it just doesn’t seem to be the case so far.

New York finished second in the Eastern Conference season with a 50-32 record for the first time in many years, only to drop to the Indiana Pacers in the East Semis. This season, they are 37-20 as of the time of writing, and it cannot be denied that the expectations are starting to mount up for the team with the season heading into its final stretch now more than ever.

At this point, it does seem that the Knicks will have to grind through the next set of games with the hopes of elevating their game and bringing the fire for the team’s hopes of a huge playoff run now more than ever. Who knows, maybe they can do beat the odds after all.

Are the Knicks a Fluke?

New York has been one of the top teams in the league, and it cannot be denied that they have really found a way to win big when it mattered most. However, it is also worth noting that there are plenty of talks as to how the Knicks may well be just another team that will be challenging the best contenders in the league.

That is, until you look at their stats against the best.

They are 0-3 against the defending champions Boston Celtics, and all three losses are by double digits – and the Knicks have not scored more than 110 points. When it comes to the NBA’s leading team in the Cleveland Cavaliers, they are 0-2, with a recent beating on the road when they lost 142-105. Against the best of the West in the Oklahoma City Thunder? A whopping 0-2 record, and both losses came when OKC didn’t even play at full strength.

This season, the Knicks are 3rd overall in offensive rating this season, and are 6th overall in net rating to go along with 5th in 3pt percentage. However, they rank a whopping 21st overall in the defensive rating at 115.3, which says a lot about how the Knicks are really in dire need of a huge improvement if they are going to win.

It has been a promising campaign for the Knicks, but it seems that they will have to prove their worth on the big stage if they want to contend for a league title now more than ever. After all, the Eastern Conference is starting to be tight, and New York has to work it out well.

The Odds for New York

The Knicks stand fourth in the odds overall with +1400. The three teams ahead of them? The Cavaliers, Thunder, and the Celtics. This says a lot about how the expectations are real for the Knicks – they are 0-7 against the contending teams, which really proves that they aren’t really much ready to play against the big boys now more than ever.

For what it is worth, the Knicks have been able to contend at a high level in the Eastern Conference, and they will have to find a way to bring the fight against the best when the playoffs begin in just a few months.