For years, the Knicks have pitched some imagined future, the belief that if they just waited patiently enough, workplace disputes in Phoenix or Philadelphia would deliver them their star. Now, after trading RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to Toronto for OG Anunoby, the Knicks are beginning to convert their potential into kinetic energy.
Since the deal, the Knicks have looked unlike any Knicks team of the last 25 years, ripping off a blistering five-game win streak and announcing themselves as bonafide contenders by beating the Timberwolves and 76ers. Even as they’ve had to figure out their lineups and rotations on the fly, they’ve played with unusual clarity, leading for 211 across those first 240 minutes together and outscoring opponents by 111 points with Anunoby on the court. The offense fizzes; the defense constricts. The magic is in the work, wheezes the More specifically, the magic is in the work of Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle, who have cemented themselves as legitimate All-NBA caliber player