Knicks Ready to Face The Music

The New York Knicks are back where they belong in the Eastern Conference playoffs, where they earned the number three seed in the postseason picture after winning 51 games this season.

Their record is one win better than the previous season, but 60-win seasons from the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics have the Knicks in a distant third place.

The Athletic insider James Edwards III sets the scene for what the Knicks are dealing with in the upcoming playoff series.

"How good are the Knicks? That’s the question everyone has. Maybe we already know the answer. Maybe it will take the sport’s most intense period for New York to raise its play to a high level consistently. However, the fact that no one knows, even though the regular season is over, says a lot about the season the Knicks just had," Edwards wrote.

"New York has the playoffs to answer all of these questions. It has the playoffs to change the narrative. It has the playoffs to fill some of that emptiness. If things go poorly at this stage, it’s very likely that changes will take place in the offseason," he continued.

"This is what the Knicks and their fans have been waiting for. The playoffs. It’s to see what’s real and what’s not."

The Knicks expected to be in this position coming into the season, especially after trading for Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns before the start of training camp. With their added pieces, they are expected to perform well, which means the pressure is on to fulfill that promise.

If they do what's expected of them, great. There are no complaints. However, if they fall asleep and struggle against another number six seed in the Detroit Pistons in the first round, significant questions could soon be asked.