The Whiteboard: Knicks making their case as dark horse contenders

Last week, the Knicks received the news that Julius Randle would be out for the rest of the season after shoulder surgery. They've struggled through injuries for much of this second half of the season, with Mitchell Robinson and OG Anunoby both missing tons of time. But despite that, they've never looked more like a serious contender.

On Sunday, the Knicks pounded the Bucks, pushing themselves into a tie with the Orlando Magic for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, just a game behind Milwaukee for No. 2. Is it time to start taking them seriously as a challenge for the Celtics?

The Knicks are making their case as a contender

The Knicks are currently eighth in both offensive and defensive efficiency, one of just three teams in the top eight on both ends — along with the Celtics and Thunder. Their SRS — strength-of-schedule adjusted point differential — is fifth in the league, second-best in the East and nearly twice that of the Bucks, who have the third-best mark in the East.

The Knicks also have some of their key players peaking at the right time. Since the beginning of March, Jalen Brunson has averaged 29.8 points, 6.8 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game. Donte DiVincenzo is shooting 39.4 percent from beyond the arc and averaging a ridiculous 3.9 deflections per game on defense. Miles McBride has emerged as a reliable bench contributor, playing tough defense at the point of attack and shooting 44.6 percent from beyond the arc. Josh Hart is averaging 10.6 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. Isaiah Hartenstein has been a defensive force, averaging 1.3 blocks and 1.2 steals in under minutes per game.

If Alec Burks and Bojan Bogdanovic start hitting outside shots and Robinson and Anunoby can get healthy and reacclimated for the playoffs they have incredible defensive and offensive depth around Brunson as their organizing star.

What the Knicks don't have, however, is a paricularly compelling resume against the best teams in the league. They've lost all four of their games against the Celtics, losing by an average of 11 points per game. Even with this most recent win, they're just 2-3 against the Bucks this year. They're 1-3 against Orlando and 1-2 against the Pacers. And that's just the East, they're also 4-8 against the top six seeds in the West. Even over this 11-7 run since the beginning of March that has them surging in the standings, they're just 3-2 against teams who are currently in the top six in either conference.

The Knicks do have the opportunity to make one more statement before the playoffs begin. Their final four games come against the Bulls, Celtics, Nets and the Bulls again. The Celtics have no incentive to push for the win on Thursday this week, having already sewn up the No. 1 seed. But if they do play their starters, it's a chance for the Knicks to go all out and prove themselves against what could be the biggest barrier between them and a trip to the Finals.

Subscribe to The Whiteboard, FanSided's daily email newsletter on everything basketball. If you like The Whiteboard, share it with someone you love! If you don't like The Whiteboard, share it with someone you loathe!

QUICK HITTER: Naz Reid loves the Lakers

Naz Reid was huge for the Timberwolves in a 127-117 win over the Lakers Sunday night, putting up 31 points and 11 rebounds. The win gave the Timberwolves the No. 1 seed in the West, for the moment, and there's a good chance the Lakers could wind up playing Minnesota in the first round, assuming they make it through the Play-In Tournament.

In that case, Reid could be a huge x-factor as he's absolutely crushed the Lakers this year. In four matchups, and three wins for the Wolves, he's averaging 21.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.0 blocks per game. Most notably, he's hit 16-of-29 (55.2 percent) from beyond the arc. Steph Curry is the only player in the league who has hit more 3s against the Lakers this season.

Reid's mobility and floor-spacing is a big issue for the Lakers and if Karl-Anthony Towns is healthy as well, they'll be staring at a frontcourt matchup they've had no answers for this season.

Recommended Reading:

1. No one saw Shai Gilgeous-Alexander coming: "He didn't make his high school's varsity team as a freshman. He didn't start until midway through his freshman season in college or as a rookie in the NBA. The Thunder didn't even think he'd be this good when they traded for him in 2019 as part of the deal that sent Paul George to the LA Clippers and started what has turned into a rapid rebuild." From window-shopping to MVP short list: Inside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's improbable two-decade rise

2. The Mavericks are a juggernaut in the clutch: "No deficit is insurmountable. No fourth quarter is packed with too much pressure. They’re first in clutch offense, sixth in clutch defense, fifth in clutch assist rate, and second in crunch time winning percentage." The Dallas Mavericks Are the NBA’s Most Dangerous Sleeper

3. Joe Mazzulla keeps rising to the occasion: "Yet, as expectations and COTY are eternally married to one another, not enough praise is given to coaches who are burdened with high expectations and nonetheless live up to these standards, or even exceed them. Meeting or outperforming expectations in a Boston or a Denver can be just as challenging a coaching project as legitimizing an OKC or Orlando ahead of schedule." “Second Row Joe” no more: The case for Joe Mazzulla to win Coach of the Year