Knicks Final Regular Season Report Card Revealed

The New York Knicks are going into the playoffs with the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference after reaching the 50-win threshold for the second year in a row.

The Knicks have enjoyed a lot of success this season, but there is room for improvement. That's why Bleacher Report writer Dan Favale gave the Knicks a "B" in his yearly report cards for all 30 NBA teams.

"There is an argument to drop them into the "C" range. Their offseason activity — specifically, the Mikal Bridges trade — demands they be measured against foremost contenders," Favale writes.

"New York falls short in that arena. It is 6-15 against opponents with a top-10 net rating and went winless (0-8) against both Boston and Cleveland, the two teams sitting above them in the Eastern Conference standings."

"We can't pretend that doesn't matter, or that it isn't disappointing. Nor can we ignore that the Knicks' dependence on Jalen Brunson is still too high after just about draining their asset stores to surround him with higher-end talent," Favale continued.

"At the same time, we also cannot downplay the significance of clearing 50 wins. This is the first time New York has won 60 percent or more of its games in consecutive seasons since Pat Riley was meandering up and down the sidelines."

"Empowering OG Anunoby to expand his offensive usage and aggression counts for something, too. And for all the concerns about the Knicks defense — of which there are many — they are allowing fewer points per possession overall than the league average."

The Knicks are one of the best teams in the NBA, so their "B" is justified, but they need to be able to upgrade and play "A" ball during the playoffs if they want a chance to beat either top seed in the Boston Celtics or the Cleveland Cavaliers.