Following the All-Star break, the Westchester Knicks are 26-14 with 10 games remaining in the season. The Knicks have a tough March ahead of them, but it looks like the playoffs are in good sight. With the trade deadline in the rear view mirror, how will the team fare the rest of the way?
Standing Pack At Deadline
The NBA G League trade deadline has come and gone. Westchester didn’t make any moves, which comes to no surprise with the depth the team has. Following the Knicks’ 107-83 victory over the Iowa Wolves, Westchester head coach Mike Miller praised the team’s depth and stated that Devon Baulkman, Sekou Wiggs, Adam Woodbury, and Jordan Henriquez performed well against Iowa
“We used a lot of guys and we had good bench production,” Miller said. “[Adam] Woodbury and [Jordan] Henriquez went in there and each had three offensive rebounds. They played 30 minutes between them and one is 3-for-5 and one is 4-for-8.”
Miller continued by stating that the players have taken advantage of new opportunities that have been presented to them.
“The one thing I’ll give this group credit for is, when they’ve had opportunities, they’ve taken advantage of it. When one guy is out, another guy step up and takes advantage of it. Paul Watson has played as well as anybody that we had as of late. He’s always been in the rotation, but he’s playing more and has a bigger role with the changes. He was out tonight, so that freed up more minutes to allow [Devon] Baulkman to play more minutes and [Buay Tuach] to get some minutes,” Miller continued.
Following the call-up of Trey Burke, Billy Garrett has found an increased role and has taken advantage of his new opportunity. He has been granted more of an opportunity to run the point and can play well off the ball and score. Since the G League Showcase, Garrett has scored in double figures 12 times.
With a collective group of players, it makes sense that the Westchester Knicks made no moves at the trade deadline. Not only have some of these players seen an increased role, but it has shown the depth that the team has. Right now, Westchester has possession of the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. If the Knicks hold onto that spot, this team could make noise in a potential playoff appearance.
March-ing To A Tough Challenge
Westchester has a tough month in front of them. Five of their nine games in March are against teams that fall in the top six in the Eastern Conference. That doesn’t include their match-up against the Lakeland Magic, who are one game behind the Grand Rapids Drive for the final playoff spot.
Playoffs?
The Knicks currently sit at the top of the Eastern Conference with a 26-14. The team has a two and half game lead over the No. 2 seed Fort Wayne Mad Ants, and an one and half game lead over the Raptors 905. Getting one of the top two spots will benefit the Knicks, as they are looking to make an impact once the playoffs roll around.
Under the new format, the top two seeds will have a bye and the first two rounds are single elimination games. Westchester has a tough task at hand. Seven of their next 10 games are on the road, along with seven games in a 14 day stretch. It will be a difficult stretch, but it looks like the Knicks are poised to make their second playoff appearance this season. If that happens, there is one question in front of the Westchester Knicks: will the have a first-round bye or will the team have to play an opening round game.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
