The New York Knicks are one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now and have won nine of their last 10 games. Despite that fact, former Miami Heat forward Antoine Walker does not think the Knicks are built to enjoy a deep playoff run.
His deduction is based on the fact that former MVP Derrick Rose is no longer in the Knicks’ rotation.
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Clearly, Walker holds Rose in very high regard. It’s no mystery why. During his prime years, Rose was one of the most dominant and electric players in the league. Sadly, multiple injuries cut Rose’s prime years short. Still, he has still managed to become a really effective role player in recent years.
This season, Rose has played in 27 games. In those 27 games, Rose has averaged just 5.6 points, 1.7 assists and 1.5 rebounds per game.
However, he’s been out of the rotation since early January. Rose’s best days of playing basketball are behind him, but there is little doubt that his experience and leadership could be highly valuable to a team like the Knicks that has high playoff aspirations.
When it comes to who is in the rotation, the Knicks are led by a three-headed monster of talented offensive players. Julius Randle is having yet another incredible season, putting up 25.4 points per game. Jalen Brunson has excelled in his first year with the Knicks, averaging 23.9 points per game. Youngster R.J. Barrett has continued to be a solid option as well, scoring 19.6 points per game.
Though Walker clearly feels strongly about his opinion, it does seem like he is somewhat living in the past. At this point, a team would be in trouble if it were heavily depending on Rose to produce in the playoffs.
The truth is that the aforementioned trio of players, as well as players like Quentin Grimes, Josh Hart and Immanuel Quickley, are going to be the guys who will determine just how deep the Knicks can go in the playoffs.
Right now, New York is at the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference, but they are just one game back from the No. 4 seed.
As for the Heat, they’re just trying to stay afloat. They’re 4-6 over their last 10 games and hold a 1.5-game lead for the No. 7 seed. A play-in tournament berth for Miami seems very likely at this point in time.
