Knicked up: Low-hanging Eastern fruit

The New York Knicks are no longer a total mess.

New York has been watching horrendous basketball for the better part of the last 15 years. When you think of the Knicks during that time, you think Isiah Thomas and Antonio McDyess, Fat Eddy Curry and Obese Raymond Felton. It was the worst of times, it was the worst of times.

In 2015, more of the same was to be expected. Team president Phil Jackson made some moves in the offseason with the signings of Arron Afflalo and Robin Lopez, along with Lance Thomas and Derrick Williams. Of course, the biggest moves came with the drafting of Kristaps Porzingis and the healthy return of Carmelo Anthony, who was shut down for knee surgery last year.

Porzingis has absolutely revitalized this franchise, sending a million volts of energy through a fan base that was more dead than Kobe Bryant’s career. Porzingis and Anthony have led the Knicks to a solid start for a team still learning how to play together, with New York sitting two games out of the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference with a 10-11 mark.

The reality is the Knicks could go into the tank something fierce. In fact, New York will go on a losing streak at some point because Anthony or Porzingis will be dinged up, and the rest of those guys aren’t beating anybody with a pulse. Speaking of which, are we sure Jose Calderon is still alive? The Knicks would be better off taking his minutes and giving them to an usher at the Garden.

Nobody expects this group to make the playoffs because the depth is rancid. Still, Jackson deserves some credit for locking up Anthony long-term last offseason before bringing in Porzingis – who is currently the easy choice for Rookie of the Year – and fellow rookie Jerian Grant.

Sure, the Anthony signing will probably be a disaster when he washed up and completely useless in a few seasons, but that’s to worry about down the road.

New York should be able to finish second in the Atlantic Division, behind the Toronto Raptors. At the very worst, third place seems like a sure thing since the Brooklyn Nets have forgotten how to play the sport, and the Philadelphia 76ers aren’t even a basketball team. Seriously, that franchise is a joke. It should be contracted.

The Knicks may not be putting any new banners in the hallowed rafters of Madison Square Garden this year, but at least they are moving in the right direction.