Out in the Eastern Conference of the NBA, the New York Knicks are playing really really well. As of this post, the team sits at fifth place in the standings.  March has been good to the Knicks, rewarding them with wins over the LA Lakers, the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics. 

It’s a little unsettling to some how good the Knicks are faring this season. They’re sharing the second tier with the Cleveland Cavs right below the top tier teams that are are most favored for the NBA championship this season. That’s the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, and Philadelphia 76ers.

If you’re into NBA betting online, you might not know which way to bet. Despite the Knicks coming out on top, some victories have been by slim margins, and when it comes to betting, it’s worth studying past results and even entire seasons to get a bigger picture. 

How are the Knicks better this season? There’s a lot of factors, but this season really comes down to three Knicks that have upped their game in ways that have improved the Knicks win-loss record.

Jalen Brunson

Even though the diminutive point guard didn’t make the NBA All-Star game, no one would have complained if the first year Knick made the roster. In fact, in our early All-Star predictions we would have selected Brunson over Randle for that spot. Nothing personal against Randle, but we think that Brunson affects winning. We don’t think it’s a coincidence that the Knicks are having a banner season after picking the efficient, calming, shot-making Brunson.

“He’s exceeded my expectations,” Knicks broadcaster Walt Frazier said. “He’s been phenomenal, dealing with pressure, breaking down the defense, tremendous leader, savvy and smart player.”

Julius Randle

We don’t think he’s fully-formed yet, but Julius Randle has improved his play this season. He seems to have found a sweet spot in terms of his offensive style that he’s been a lot more consistent this season. That was evident in recording a career high 57 points a couple weeks ago and putting together his best season of his career.

Immanuel Quickley

The third year guard has made the jump right in front of Knicks fans eyes this season. After a a solid start to the season, Quickley has really ramped up his play in the last couple months. In March in particular, Quickley scored 20 points eight times including a career high 40 points in a win against the Houston Rockets. His play hasn’t propelled the Knicks forward in the standings, but he is being noticed for his his individual play that Immanuel is now inserted his name into the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award.

It’s no surprise that the Knicks have consistently won with Quickley, Randle and Brunson all establishing career high scoring performances this season.

The season so far

At the time of writing, the team have won 42 and lost 30, and disappointingly if you’re a Knicks fan, they’ve been playing better on the road than at home, with 22-14 road recoed versus the 20-16 record at MSG. RJ Barrett to deliver even more goods for the team, especially as the Knicks were able to count on him when they needed him most and make their 2020-21 season one to talk about. 

However, Barrett has lacked some efficiency on the ball. It’s also not been as effective as the club would like defense, and teams have scored a lot of second chances off of him. Defensive woes aren’t just about Barret. Defensively, the team have followed the lead of many other teams in the league and plumped for a drop-back defense, rather than play more zone defense or a more aggressive point guard defense to counterattack screens. 

In terms of games won, the Knicks are already having a better season than the last one, but there are still a few games to go, and the team haven’t looked especially impressive. Derrick Rose’s performance has slumped, and Barret and Julius Randle have struggled to find a rhythm. It’s a struggle that could cost the Knicks a place in the playoffs. Both seem to be trying to rectify the issue at the expense of the team with selfish play.

The Knicks have been something akin to yo-yo-like when it comes to performance. Instead of seeing them play consistently well season after season, fans have experienced highs and lows. In their 2022-23 campaign, the New Yorkers are managing to pick themselves back up from the 2021-22 debacle, but their performance is still a little lackluster. They’ll have to raise their game if they’re going to stand any chance of becoming an NBA championship-winning side this season.