As we begin this article, the question must be asked, is this the best Knicks fans have had it since the 90’s? For the third year in a row, the Orange and Blue are a legit threat in the Eastern Conference, with a fun and engaging roster that lights up the Garden. They are led by their god sent of a player in Jalen Brunson, who continues to progress as a leader on and off the floor and there is real hope that this franchise can make a run at a Title. Conditions like that haven’t existed since Pat Riley and the rough and tumble 90’s squads took on the best and showed their worth on deep playoff runs and trips to the finals.

Very players in the history of this town have fit in better with the culture and attitude of New York city than Brunson has. He has taken on all of his doubters, people who scoffed at the notion of giving him such a large pay day and exceeded even the wildest of expectations the Garden Faithful could have had for him. Brunson is not quite the top player in team history yet, but it feels like he’ll achieve that honor when his time on Broadway is all said and done. Much like number 11, this year’s team has been looking for request despite boasting a 34-17 record, fifth best in the league entering Wednesday. Everyone in the media said they needed to get some “statement wins” under their belt, and they had the chance to do that in a ten-game stretch, five of which were at home against very solid squads.

To say they passed the test with flying colors, going 8-2 in the stretch and winning four of the five home games against the top teams out West, as aside from an ugly loss to the Lakers, the Knicks beat Sacramento, Memphis, Denver and Houston. The run towards a top five record has been keyed by elite performances from the core players on the team at both ends of the floor. Brunson, Josh Hart, KAT, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges have found the chemistry they lacked earlier in the season as they have found a way to feed off one another offensively while also improving their defensive game. The starting five boasts four players who could for 30 to 40 points in a nightly basis, something very few teams in the NBA can say they have even just two of at a given time. But the concerns the media and fans had for this team never really had anything to do with the starting five, but rather the bench…until now.

That bench is starting to come together, led by Deuce McBride who gets better with each passing game. McBride impressed last year but has found a new gear in a sixth man role where he routinely fills it up offensively and shows off his athletic ability. McBride is accompanied by a trio of role players that have helped to make a difference in the team’s recent run of success by giving them solid minutes in relief. Precious Achiuwa has done it all of late with high flying dunks, quality defensive work and tough work on the glass. After Precious, the Knicks boast a pair of accurate three-point shooters in Cameron Payne and Landry Shamet who have shot the ball well for a while now. This second unit of four has started to earn the trust of Tom Thibodeau who is going to them more and more of late, in an effort to better manage the minutes of his starting five, in hopes of avoiding the burnout that killed their playoff run last year. But they still need help on the bench, especially at the center position? While they may come in the form of the recently cleared to return Mitchell Robinson, it feels like the position GM Leon Rose will address at the trade deadline.

The deadline is Thursday at 3 PM Eastern, giving Leon Rose just about a day and a half to make the move Knicks fans hope will get them closer to a Title. While farfetched rumors of making a trade for Kevin Durant swirl (a mistake in my opinion), the Knicks seems most interested in adding center and forward depth. Chris Boucher of the Raptors, Wizards big man Jonas Valanciunas, 76ers forward Guerschon Yabusele, and Pelican’s center Daniel Theis are all near the top of the Knicks trade target list. Any trade for these players would likely see Mitchell Robinson and or Jericho Sims go the other day, pieces I would be willing to part with to improve the teams outlook down the stretch. They’re not far off the pace of the Celtics and Cavs who sit atop the East. They’ll need the added depth to manage minutes and truly be able to make a big run in the postseason across two rounds against Boston and Cleveland. Only time will tell, but let’s hope for a big deadline and keep on enjoying the good times, after all, they’re only 30 years in the making!

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!