Much like the Rangers, the Knicks have unfortunately taken a back seat to our busy football and baseball schedule, despite this being the most hotly anticipated Knicks season in sometime. In the course of this period where we haven’t covered them, the team hasn’t gotten off to the best start, as they scuffling through the first ten games. That was before their current four game home stand, one that felt like it had to yield some results to head in the right direction. I’m certainly happy to report the stand did just that, as the Knicks went 3-1 in the four games, but let’s delve into how they did that, and what needs to continue for a team that is starting to look like it’s finding the scent.

The Knicks came home 5-5 through the first ten and were looking to find a spark at MSG. The first block of contests out of 82 saw them look like a team that clearly had talent but lacked chemistry. Something that is frankly only natural given the number of changes that took place in the summer, with several players, a few of them key contributors, leaving and being replaced by new faces. Their arrival back at the World’s Most Famous Arena kicked off a reignition of their long running rivalry with the Chicago Bulls, and to say the Knicks didn’t have their end game in the first half would be an understatement. In what was the second of back-to-back games, combined with their lack of depth, the lack of energy was somewhat understandable. But they rallied from a big deficit in this one and actually took the lead late until Josh Hart committed a late foul an Jalen Brunson’s buzzer beater rimmed out.

With a tough loss to the Bulls under their belt, the Knicks entered a weekend double dip with the crosstown “rival” Nets at the Garden, looking to get back to .500. The first of the two matchups was a Friday night NBA Cup clash, as if the moniker “NBA Cup” means anything at all. For those unaware, the NBA Cup is an in-season tournament that runs concurrent to the actual NBA seasons schedule. The winning team receives a trophy and monetary payment to their players, while also adding a game to their record in the standings. But enough definitions, the Knicks came out in this one and jumped out to a big lead, one they took into the fourth quarter…and proceeded to throw it away. They eventually fell behind on a late Dennis Schroeder three pointer, which set up some incredible “Nova Knicks” heroics from Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges.

It was a breathtaking finish, as the Knicks for the roll they couldn’t get against the Bulls earlier in the week. The dramatic win made them 6-6 on the season, and advanced them in the NBA Cup, with another matchup coming Sunday night at MSG. That Sunday tilt with the Nets, eventually became the Knicks second win in a row, led by big games from Karl Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby, who went for 26 and 24 points respectively. This was now the third game in a row where the Knicks offense looked like it was finding some real rhythm and cohesion, as they took down Brooklyn 114-104 to move to 7-6 on the year.

Which brings us to Monday night’s game against the lowly Wizards, who the Knicks looked intent on beating from the outset. This one turned into a rout in a hurry, as it was the third straight game that the Knicks had 30 assists as a team, a sign of improving offensive cohesion. Six Knicks hit double figures in this one, with Jalen Brunson leading the way with 26 points in the game. The 134-106 blowout came with a lot of highlight moments, but the best of all was Jericho Sims poster dunk right down the lane.

The win over the visitors from DC was the team’s third in a row, making them 8-6 on the season which keeps them fourth in the East, tied with the Magic for the third seed in the conference. While that doesn’t sound overly impressive and the start has been a frustrating at times, the NBA regular season is favorable to experimenting with things while you try and get your team up to par. Sure, the Knicks beat some really bad teams in the last three tilts, but the NBA is chalk full of bad teams so it’s hard to knock them for that. In these 14 games, the starting five seems to have figured things out, but there are still things to improve, so let’s dig into that.

We’ve spoke a lot about chemistry, and while that may sound kind of intangible, it is everything in basketball to have. I don’t say that like it’s an earth-shattering revelation, but when teams change at the rate they do in the NBA, it becomes critical to establish some flow early. Through the opening ten games, it felt like the Knicks were just five guys freelancing out there trying to win games. But now of late the starting five of Brunson, Bridges, Hart, Anunoby and Towns is starting to really put it together. Brunson and Towns run a deadly two-man game and now Bridges shooting is starting to round into form from inside and out. Hart and Anunoby anchor this team defensively, along with Bridges, while playing with great energy at the offensive end of the floor as well. The ball is moving effortlessly all of a sudden, making this unit a scintillating watch. While they haven’t been great defensively as a unit yet, if they’re going to score like this, opponents will have a hard time outscoring them.

Almost as important as good team chemistry is solid depth, which is something that the Knicks unfortunately haven’t had a lot of to start the season. But, in the last few games that is starting to turn around as well, with the three players pictured above all playing a role. Cam Payne was signed in the offseason to help backup Jalen Brunson as the guard position and provide solid shooting depth. He missed the first few games with injuries but came back into the lineup Friday against Brooklyn and has been very effective from beyond the arc since getting in the game. The Knicks thinnest position on the depth chart is center, with both Precious Achiuwa and Mitchell Robinson injured to begin the season, so they have turned to a bit of a project player in Ariel Hukporti off the bench. Big number 55 has become a bit of a fan favorite, playing with a lot of energy and flash at both ends of the floor. The last player to focus on off the bench is rookie guard Tyler Kolek, who has real talent, but needs more minutes to really shine. If he earns them from Thibs, look out.

The emerging depth players working hand in hand with Deuce McBridge and the starters should give the Knicks a rotation they really work with and spell their starters when they need a break. Thibs and the team will now head west for a five-game road trip that will see them face the Suns, Jazz, Nuggets, Mavericks and Hornets. It’s not an easy trip as they’ll see some strong teams on it, but the team’s newfound momentum should hopefully carry over to this stretch as they look to keep improving. If they keep up the level of play, we just saw at home, this could be a big trip for the orange and blue!

On Twitter you can find Mike @Mike_Sheerin, Tyler @TMon_19 and Sean @SeanMartinNFL. Subscribe to the site by hitting the follow button in the bottom right corner and entering your email address. Check out our Instagram feed @thebroadwaybreakdownsports for special gameday and promotional content. Our podcasts are available on Spotify. Visit the Rangers Ed Shop by clicking the link on our homepage. Check out our mailbag page to join the conversation here on the site and on our partners show, The Rangers Ed Podcast! We’ll be back with more soon!