The Knicks, now solidly back in the playoff race at 10-27, have cleverly decided to hold tight and not trade any of their players before the deadline. Now, you might be thinking, “Wait, Brian, don’t smart basketball teams often say things like ‘We’re not going to make a move’ in an attempt to increase their leverage so that they could get a better deal when they do make a move?” Yes, that is something that happens with smart basketball teams.
Moving on, the Knicks bring their playoff push to Utah tonight to take on the Jazz, who missed out on both Frank Ntilikina and Dennis Smith Jr (plus Malik Monk!) before they were forced to pick the remaining dregs of the lottery in Donovan Mitchell. He has worked out okay for the Jazz, but you know they must still have regrets.
The Knicks are riding high with six wins in their last sixteen games, so this is a big game for their brilliantly-constructed squad filled with correctly valued players who they won’t trade but also don’t help them win.
Let’s go! Knicks?