The Atlantic Files #177: The New York Knicks are back!

You read that headline correctly, don't act like you haven't heard about it either! The New York Knicks are back, baby! Oh, they're here to stay too! Currently, the Knicks are the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and they even are third in the Atlantic Division only behind the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers. Before this season began, we did not think the Knicks would be anywhere close to where they are right now. The defense is brand new and very good. Coach Thibodeau has the entire culture and energy flipped upside down compared to last season. Guys are standing up and off the bench throughout the whole game cheering their teammates on at all times. Everyone has a tremendous amount of respect for each other and the coaching staff. On top of that, you have Julius Randle playing like the Most Improved Player of the Year and Immanuel Quickley playing like the Rookie of the Year if only he got some more minutes. At this point of the season, if you don't have either of these guys on your radar or ladders for the awards, you're sadly mistaken. PLUS, RJ Barrett is really playing like a future All-Star and maybe even an All-NBA level. Throw all of that together and you have a recipe for a very dangerous team to face in the playoffs. We would not be surprised at all if they won a first-round matchup and even pushed their second-round opponent to the brink of elimination. This is a serious worst-to-first type of story, and the state of the NBA is just better when the Knicks are better. Hear the full episode below!