The Knicks have had an up-and-down season, but it teaches them a valuable lesson.
For being a 38 win, third-seed team in their conference, the New York Knicks have had a remarkably up-and-down season.
They looked like a top three team in the NBA to start the season and built on that momentum even more by winning the NBA Cup in the In-Season tournament.
From then on though, the cracks started to show. Immediately following their NBA Cup victory the Knicks went on a skid that poked holes in their supremacy over the Eastern Conference and even though they've since recovered to relative normalcy, their performance still fluctuates from game to game.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) pushes the ball up the court against Milwaukee Bucks guard/forward Kevin Porter Jr. (7) in the second half at Fiserv Forum. Michael McLoone-Imagn ImagesPolar Opposite Games
The best and most recent example of that fluctuation has been their last two games. After dropping a game 109-94 to their conference rivals the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Knicks responded with a triumphant 127-98 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday.
The back-and-forth that their season has consisted off has been a harsh reminder that nothing in the NBA is given easily and that hot streaks can end, but in Karl-Anthony Towns' eyes, those trials have been a valuable lesson for the team and in many ways it prepares them for the tight competition of the playoffs.
Milwaukee Bucks guard Cam Thomas (24) shoots against New York Knicks center/forward Karl-Anthony Towns (32) in the second half at Fiserv Forum. Michael McLoone-Imagn Images"It's important to battle through adversity," Towns said (via NBA_New York). "When you're in a playoff setting you may lose one, you've got to get the next one. We're doing a good job of of showing that we can bounce back quick. It's a good sign for us, but consistency is everything."
Finding Consistency
Lack of talent certainly hasn't been New York's problem, but as Town mentioned, it's consistency that's key. Especially during the Knicks' skid following the NBA Cup, they failed to execute their game plans and bring together both sides of their game often enough to chain together wins.
If the offense was strong one night, then the defense faltered, and vice versa. The NBA season is long, and it takes more than a handful of hot streaks to power a team through to the playoffs and beyond.
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) during the first half at Rocket Arena. Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesThat fact becomes even more clear the closer that the end of the season and the start of playoffs becomes. In limited game series' the Knicks won't have the luxury of outlasting a losing streak.
Towns went on to explain that if they build off their win against the Bucks and maintain the momentum and mindset that Friday's dominance that Friday's game required, they'll be able to find their old groove again and play their best basketball right when they'll need it most.