The New York Knicks find themselves in a bit of a tailspin as the 2022-23 campaign begins its final descent toward the postseason. Dropping three straight, Tom Thibodeau’s club is struggling to hold onto their current placement within the Eastern Conference’s top-six seeds, and a play-in berth is seemingly becoming more plausible by the day.
Following the club’s latest loss to the lowly Orlando Magic, sophomore Quentin Grimes addressed the team’s recent struggles during a post-game media session and suggested that while times may be tough, hope is certainly not lost.
“I feel like we’re going through a little bit of a lull. Every team’s gonna go through it but right now isn’t probably the best time to be going through it, but it’s all good…We’ll definitely get out of it and get ready for the playoffs,” Grimes said.
Despite the Knicks’ losing streak, Grimes has found himself amid a nice stretch run from an individual standpoint during this stretch. Over their last three outings the guard is posting impressive per-game averages of 16.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists on 58.1% shooting from the floor and 57.1% shooting from deep.
He also just recently recorded 20+ points in two consecutive games, the first time that he’s accomplished such a feat in his young professional career.
Jeff Van Gundy Low on Knicks Playoff Chances
On the latest edition of The Michael Kay Show, former coach and current ESPN commentator Jeff Van Gundy shared his thoughts on the current state of the Knicks.
When discussing the club’s potential during the upcoming postseason, Van Gundy went as far as to note that he’s not yet sold on the idea that they’ll even wind up qualifying and, even if they do, he’s rather low on their chances of advancing beyond the first round.
“First they have to qualify for the playoffs. I’m not like everybody else assuming. Secondly, the only chance they have to get to the second round is if they play Cleveland, right, and to do that there’s work to be done. And Cleveland would still be a prohibitive favorite but they’d have a fighting chance,” Van Gundy said.
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As things currently stand, the Knicks boast a record of 42-33 and reside in the fifth seed out in the Eastern Conference. If the season were to end today, they would find themselves squaring off against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the quarterfinals of the postseason.
However, considering there’s a mere two-game separation between them and the seventh-seeded Miami Heat, their placement in the standings is far from cemented.
Jalen Brunson Practices With Knicks
The month of March has been rather tough for Knicks guard Jalen Brunson from an injury standpoint.
After having missed five games with a foot ailment, Brunson most recently was found relegated to the sidelines with a sprained right hand sustained during the club’s loss to the Heat Wednesday night.
Though the 26-year-old was held out during their latest outing against the Orlando Magic, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News provided a crucial update noting that Brunson had participated in the team’s Sunday practice.
Good news: Jalen Brunson went through practice today, Tom Thibodeau says.
This news comes on the day before the Knicks will be playing host to the Houston Rockets, thus giving hope that Brunson could end up suiting up for the club in the contest.
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Quentin Grimes Sounds Off on Knicks Losing Streak With Playoffs Approaching