The New York Knicks have a bottle-neck schedule lying ahead of them for the next three weeks. Tom Thibodeau’s crew would be facing each MVP of the last thirteen years in the games ahead.
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The Knicks improved their record to 9-7 after defeating the Houston Rockets tonight. The New York Knicks had the third-easiest schedule in the league based on winning percentages. However, Tom Thibodeau and co haven’t capitalized much on it.
The Knicks had updated their roster from the previous season, adding the likes of Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier. Julius Randle was coming off winning the most improved player award. The Knicks faced the relatively lower seeds in their last sixteen games.
These teams include the Magic, Pacers, Rockets, and Pelicans. They were lucky enough to play the Bucks and Sixers, who had a depleted roster at the time. However, the honeymoon phase of the Knicks is over. The team is set for grueling next three weeks, facing some of the toughest teams in the league.
To name a few, the Knicks face the Warriors, Bucks, Lakers, and the Nets in the upcoming games. An interesting stat points out that the MSG team would be facing each MVP of the last thirteen years in the games ahead.
Knicks point guard Derrick Rose reflects on the schedule ahead.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau believes his team still has a lot of work to do. The Knicks are currently the fifth seed in the eastern conference. When asked Derrick Rose about the taxing schedule ahead, the former MVP said,
“Next game is all I think about,” Rose said. “I had an anxiety problem when I was younger bro, thinking about matchups and all that. So I go game by game. Sometimes I don’t know until I walk in that morning.”
Via: Daily News
However, D-Rose believes in giving all his opponents equal respect and putting in all the effort.
“It’s the first Art of War, making sure you give everyone respect. No matter who it is, I want to give them respect and give my best effort no matter what game,” Rose said.
The upcoming schedule of the Knicks also has them facing each scoring champion of the last eleven years. The Knicks’ upcoming schedule reads the Warriors, Nets, Lakers, Nuggets, Bucks, and the Suns.
Thus the team is set to battle the likes of Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Nikola Jokic.
Though the Knicks are battling all the MVPs of the past decade, they have the youngest MVP in NBA history on their squad.