When the Knicks return to the court on Thursday to begin the post-All-Star break stretch of the regular season, they’ll finally be playing at full strength. The team revealed on Wednesday that forward OG Anunoby has been cleared to practice without restrictions and center Mitchell Robinson has been cleared for five-on-five contact in practice.
By no means did the Knicks struggle without a clean bill of health. They currently own the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference with a stout 36-18 record, and it’s their best start through 54 games in nearly three decades. But quality depth is what New York needs the most at this juncture — it seperates the contenders from pretenders.
“It means a lot [to have a full roster], obviously. After the break, we want everyone to be ready to go,” Knicks captain Jalen Brunson said Wednesday. “I’m just excited to get down the stretch. I love this team a lot, I love everyone that’s a part of this organization. We all have one goal in mind, and I’m really thankful about it.”
Brunson, who just appeared in his second All-Star weekend for the Knicks, is undoubtedly the catalyst. He ranks first in points, assists, and minutes among all 28-year-olds in the NBA this season, and he recently became the fastest player in franchise history to score 5,000 points (190 games).
But there’s also no disputing the two-way impact of Karl-Anthony Towns. The veteran superstar is averaging a double-double of 24.7 points and 13.4 rebounds, reaffirming that, at long last, the Knicks found a dangerous two-headed monster qualified for heightened expectations.
“We’ve done a great job of sustaining what we need to do and being where we need to be right now,” Towns said. “It’s great to have our squad fully coming back together, and to have the firepower that we have gives us versatility. It allows us to play against teams that do a two-big lineup, a no-big lineup, or a one-big lineup. It makes us versatile.”
The Knicks will go as far as Brunson and Towns take them — they became the franchise’s first tandem of All-Star starters since 1975. But Anunoby’s return to the lineup will be a welcome boost, as he’s averaged 16.4 points and 4.7 boards in 49 games. The same can be said about the long-awaited arrival of Robinson, who’s in essence their midseason acquisition.
New York will face the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden before playing must-see weekend road matchups against the East’s vaunted Cleveland Cavaliers (Friday) and Boston Celtics (Sunday).
