Surprise or Not: The Knicks are Winning

Yes, the New York Knicks have a better record than the Milwaukee Bucks, the Brooklyn Nets, and the Miami Heat. We're talking about a team who needed to wait for 26 games to get their fifth win of the 2019-2020 National Basketball Association (NBA) season. Eight games into the 2020-2021 campaign, the Knicks have already reached five wins including a win against the Bucks. 

Yes, the Knicks have been playing like a winning team under their new coach, Tom Thibodeau. And while it's still early in the new season, this is already a better Knicks team we're looking at if we're talking about the win-loss record. But there is more to the success of the Knicks than the number of wins they are racking up. 

In his second season in New York, Julius Randle is becoming a star many predicted he would be when he was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2014. He's currently averaging 23 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists per game- all team-leading. He's also improving on his three-point shooting this season, shooting 34% from downtown. His best game thus far came against the Cleveland Cavaliers on December 30, 2020, when he finished with 28 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, and shot four for four from the three-point line. 

New York's backcourt that includes RJ Barrett,  Elfrid Payton, and Austin Rivers, has been doing a great job in holding down the fort for Alec Burks who remains out due to an ankle injury. The trio has been averaging 44 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists in the first eight games of the season. 

Thibodeau, known as a defensive-minded coach, has transformed New York into one of the league's defensive teams this early. The Knicks have been limiting opponents to only 104 per game- the third-best in the league. 

While it's still early to say whether or not the Knicks can make the playoffs, New York fans can be happy knowing that Julius Randle and company are bringing back winning to New York. 

Photo is from the New York News Times