The Knicks second half schedule was released

The second half of the 2020-21 NBA schedule has been launched, meaning that we now know who, when and where the Knicks will play in the coming months, as they make their pleasantly surprising playoff draw behind All-Star Julius Randle.

The disclosure of the second semester’s schedule serves as a reminder that we live in strange times. Because of the pandemic, this season lasts only 72 games. The Knicks are in seventh place in the East with 15-17 in Thursday’s game against Sacramento, meaning they have 40 games left to sustain a post-season spot.

Will they make it to the playoffs? How difficult is their schedule the rest of the way? Why is Tom Thibodeau so rigid with his rotations? The answers to some of these questions are contained in the schedule for the second half of the season.

The Knicks will be tested in March

As of March 11, the Knicks began the second half of the season with a difficult four-game trip that includes Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, and Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving (more OKC). Maybe the Knicks will beat the Bucks for 20 again, beat the Thunder and escape 2-2.

Then the Knicks have a four-game extension at Madison Square Garden that features games that can be won, but it won’t be a cinch, with Magic and Sixers coming to town, followed by two games over three nights against Bradley Beal, Russel Westbrook and the Washington Wizards.

March ends with another game in Milwaukee, a home game against the Heat, and a direct confrontation with Karl-Anthony Towns in Minnesota. March looks difficult. Hopefully, the Knicks are still there right now.

By the way, the deadline for negotiations is March 25. So, maybe this is the point of the season when the Knicks switched to some kind of star to pair with Randle. Or maybe they’re smart and arrest someone who’s not even on our radar. It certainly looks like this front line wants to do something to shake up the list, right?

The Knicks will also be tested in April

April starts with four games in six days, starting with the return of Kristaps Porzingis to the Garden, although whether or not he will play is just a headshot now. Then, New York hits the road to games in Detroit, Brooklyn and Boston. The coming weeks include fierce guys like Ja Morant, LeBron James and Zion Williamson, as well as another competition against Kristaps, this time in Dallas.

They Does ending the month with six consecutive home games, all of which could be played if RJ Barrett was in action and Immanuel Quickley was lighting up (Pelicans, Hornets, Hawks, Raptors, Suns, Bulls). But at this point, who knows what your record will be? And, perhaps more importantly, is Frank Ntilikina still on the team?

The Knicks will be tested again in May

May, like March, arrives like a lion. Contrary to the famous phrase, however, he does not come out as a lamb. A ridiculously long six-game trip begins in Houston, and over 10 days includes stops in Denver and Phoenix, not to mention ending in fights in Los Angeles against the Clippers and the Lakers. The regular season ends with three games at the MSG, with the Knicks playing against Spurs, Hornets and Celtics.

Being realistic, except for a crazy exchange, even at best, the Knicks will spend the entire second half of the season struggling to stay in the playoff race. But they certainly have a chance to do that. And who knows what can happen between now and the end of May? The Knicks may not be a giant three-headed superstar like the Brooklyn Nets, but they are on the hunt.

Grades:

The Knicks will be on national TV six times, all on ESPN. No love for the Knicks from TNT staff.

According to Tankathon, the Knicks are right in the middle of the pack when it comes to the strength of the schedule. The website ranks the second half’s schedule as the NBA’s 14th most difficult. Orlando and Chicago have tougher schedules, according to Tankathon, but every other team in the East with which the Knicks can compete for a playoff spot has an easier schedule, by Tankathon. You know what? That’s enough about Tankathon for a blog post.

The first half of the season brought many nice surprises, but things are only getting more difficult going forward. Still, the Knicks has shown that it is a team to be considered this year, and any game looks viable if the right players get excited. While we wait for the second half of the season, let’s wait for Randle to spend the All-Star break talking about the Knicks and perhaps recruiting one or two All-Star to join him in New York. It’s really good here when the Knicks are winning.