New York Knicks: A team written off at the start, now in NBA playoffs

 New York Knicks were projected to finish in the lower rungs  when the new NBA season started back in December. Five months later, the Knicks now hold a home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

With a 96-92 win over the Boston Celtics on Sunday, the Knicks hold the number 4 seed in the Eastern Conference after finishing their regular season campaign with a 41-31 record.

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The Knicks have clinched a playoff berth for the first time in 8 years, last featuring in the post-season back in 2013. 

Under Tom Thibodeau,  their new head coach, the Knicks boast of an elite defensive record. The franchise’s rank number 4 in the entire league with 107.9 defensive rating, a massive jump from last season’s rank of 23.  They also rank first in both opponent field goal percentage (44.0%) and opponent 3-point percentage (33.8%).  

The main hero for the turnaround has been Julius Randle, who can be said to be almost singlehandedly carrying their offense. He has turned into a knockdown 3-point shooter (41.1 %) and has tremendously improved his playmaking .