The New York Knicks found themselves in a rough spot after a four-game losing streak that saw losses to the Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks. The Knicks were viewed earlier in the season as the favorites to make it out of the Eastern Conference, but have since hit a roadblock in their season.

However, instead of burying themselves further in the standings, the Knicks were able to string together a pair of wins, highlighted by a road victory over the Philadelphia 76ers over the weekend. While Jalen Brunson continues to lead this team, it's the group around him that makes it all work in the end.

The biggest strength of this Knicks roster has to be their quality of depth at the guard position, with Brunson leading the way at an MVP-level, with Miles McBride, Landry Shamet, Jordan Clarkson, and Tyler Kolek all being viable options off the bench.

As for McBride and Shamet, they've stuck out the most this season, despite both missing some time with injuries. While they flash for their abilities to shoot the three-pointer and bring value on offense in general, their true value comes on the defensive end of the floor.

Following the win over the 76ers over the weekend, head coach Mike Brown praised the guard duo for their effort defensively, especially when going up against one of the top backcourts in the NBA in Tyrese Maxey (29.9 PPG) and VJ Edgecombe (15.6 PPG).

"They're huge," Brown said of their impact defensively. "You don't stop those types of guys. But to have a guy like Deuce coming off the bench, to have a guy like Landry. Both those guys are physical at the point of attack...To have that type of relentless pursuit with the athleticism, and strength, and toughness, is phenomenal."

Shooting above 40% from three-point range on over four attempts per game and playing quality defense, those are the exact type of role players that the Knicks need to try and contend for a title, and it's even better when factored in their team-friendly contracts.

While they are hard players to come by, that doesn't mean the Knicks won't explore options before the deadline, where they might move one of them to add another piece to this roster.

With Giannis Antetokounmpo's name being floated around, and the Knicks tied to other trade targets, Shamet and McBride could be top commodities to other teams looking to add depth to their guard rotation. For the meantime, the Knicks still have both guards and will look to get the most out of them.