The NBA released its power rankings for the sixth week of the season on Monday, and the New York Knicks were included in the top 10, as expected. However, despite them being one of the hottest teams in the league, they dropped in the rankings.
Knicks get a relatively low ranking in the power rankings
New York ranked seventh on their list for this week, after being in the sixth spot last week. The other two teams in the East that are ranked above them are the Detroit Pistons (fifth) and Boston Celtics (sixth).
“They’re just 3-5 in games that were within five points in the last five minutes, ranking last in clutch offense (27 points on 34 clutch possessions), with some rough clutch-shooting numbers (in very small sample sizes) among their regulars,” the article read.
While those two teams are playing well, the Knicks have established themselves as one of the top teams in the league based on the numbers. They are among the leaders in the East in several categories, including being first in point differential, second in points per game, and second in three-point percentage.
Are the Knicks underrated?
Ranking them as low as seventh may be underrating them, as they have shown their true potential over the past few weeks. Additionally, they have won seven of their last eight games and are 13-1 at home this season, with only the Oklahoma City Thunder having a better record at home.
In the grand scheme of things, power rankings are subjective and have no true meaning towards a team’s success. However, the Knicks continue to be underrated in the sense that they are a legitimate threat to the other teams in the pursuit of a championship this season.
New York will look to grab another big statement win on Tuesday, when they take on the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Cup quarterfinals.