Peak Period:  From 2018-19 to 2023-24.  Brunson has only played six seasons and is still in his Peak Period.

Jalen Brunson was a two-time National Champion at Villanova and former College Player of the Year, but that only translated into a Second-Round Pick by Dallas in 2018. Brunson was with Dallas for four years, but he became a superstar when he signed with the New York Knicks in 2022.

In his two seasons with the Knicks, he received MVP votes in both campaigns and was a Second Team All-NBA Selection last year.  The Knicks are on the rise, and Brunson is leading the charge.  He could see the most considerable rank jump 12 months from now.

A two-time WCC Player of the Year from Santa Clara, Kenny Sears was drafted fifth overall in 1955 by the New York Knicks.  Sears, who had previously made history as the first basketball player to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated was a two-time All-Star with New York.

Sears was a more than competent Forward and finished eighth in MVP voting in 1957 and 1959.   He was also a competent shooter who twice led the NBA in Field Goal Percentage in back-to-back years (1958-59 and 1959-60) and became New York’s top scorer but his career was derailed when his jaw was broken in a fight with George Lee of the Detroit Pistons.  He missed several games that year and subsequently broke his contract to play for the San Francisco Saints of the short-lived American Basketball League.  Sears returned to the Knick after a year but was not the same player.  The Knicks traded him to the San Francisco Warriors where he played two unremarkable years before retiring.

If you've been following the NBA this season, you can't have missed the New York Knicks' remarkable rise to prominence. With an impressive 29-17 record landing them in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks have been turning heads and stirring up excitement among fans and analysts alike.

Their recent triumph over the Miami Heat, the defending Eastern Conference champions, has only added fuel to the fire of optimism surrounding the team. But just how close are the Knicks to being clear title contenders? Let's dive into the discussion and explore the key points to consider.

 

Riding High

First things first, let's talk about the Knicks' recent hot streak. With six consecutive wins under their belt and victories in 12 of their last 14 games, the team's consistent performance has caught the attention of fans and experts alike.

This remarkable run of form has propelled the Knicks up the New York sports betting standings and positioned them as serious contenders in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The team's ability to string together wins against tough opponents is a testament to their resilience and determination to succeed on the court.

Jalen Brunson

One of the driving forces behind the Knicks' success this season has been the stellar play of guard Jalen Brunson. With his impressive scoring, playmaking ability, and tenacious defence, Brunson has emerged as a key contributor to the team.

His standout performance, including a game-high 32 points in the recent victory over the Heat, has solidified his status as a rising star in the league. Brunson's consistent excellence on both ends of the floor has provided the Knicks with a much-needed boost and added firepower to their lineup.

Playoff Potential

As the regular season winds down and the playoffs loom on the horizon, Knicks fans find themselves daring to dream of championship glory. While the team has historically faced challenges in the postseason, their current form has instilled a sense of confidence and belief among the faithful.

Some fans are even boldly predicting that the Knicks will defy the odds and hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy as the 2024 NBA Champions. With each thrilling victory, the dream of a deep playoff run grows stronger, and Knicks fans are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to see their team shine on the biggest stage.

One Player Away?: Closing the Gap to Contention

Despite their impressive performance this season, some fans feel that the Knicks are still missing a crucial piece of the championship puzzle.

Plenty of Knicks players are in Not in Hall of Fame, with most players being vastly underrated and not having the star power that some fans would like. Because of this, it feels like something is missing.

Whether it's an additional star player to complement their existing core or a couple of key bench pieces to provide depth and versatility, there's a sense that the team is just one player away from being true title contenders.

With the NBA trade deadline fast approaching, speculation is rife about potential moves the Knicks could make to bolster their roster and strengthen their championship aspirations. It remains to be seen whether the team's management will pull the trigger on any deals, but one thing's for sure: the Knicks are determined to do whatever it takes to elevate their status to elite contenders.

Conclusion

So, are the Knicks on the brink of championship glory? While there's still work to be done and obstacles to overcome, there's no denying that the team is heading in the right direction.

With their impressive performance this season, a talented roster led by standout players like Jalen Brunson, and a passionate fan base cheering them on every step of the way, the Knicks have all the makings of a team poised for greatness. As they continue to chase their championship dreams, one thing's for sure: the future is bright for the New York Knicks.

The story of Carmelo Anthony is long and arguably complicated, but it should end with a Hall of Fame induction. Anthony was a one-and-done player in college, but he is one of the most impactful players in NCAA history. The Brooklyn native led Syracuse to the 2003 Championship, where he was named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player. He was taken by the Denver Nuggets Third Overall in one of the most loaded drafts in history, which also included LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.

Melo was an instant offensive sensation, averaging 21 Points per Game and beginning a streak of 13 consecutive seasons where he scored at least 20 per contest. He was the runner-up to LeBron for Rookie of the Year, but Denver had their top gun. Anthony earned his first All-NBA Selection (Third Team) in 2005-06 and broke the 26.5 mark. An All-Star for the first time in 2007, Anthony had his best scoring season (28.9 PPG) and again was Third Team All-NBA. Notably, he received MVP votes for the first time, finishing 15th. The next year, Anthony was 13th in MVP voting and added a second All-Star. Accolades continued to fall in Melo’s lap, with another Third Team honor in 2008-09. This was also the closest that Anthony came to an NBA Championship as Denver reached the Western Conference Finals, where they fell to the eventual champions, the Los Angeles Lakers. The Nuggets were good, and Anthony was great, but if you had told him or any fan that Melo was never going to reach another Conference Final, they would not have believed it. It was much the same in Denver in 2009-10. Anthony was sixth in MVP voting and was an All-Star again. For the first time, he was named a Second Team All-Star. However, the Nuggets reverted back to a first-round exit, and the team had a frustrated superstar. Anthony did not sign a contract extension, and it was clear he wanted out and knew where he wanted to go: Home.

During the 2010-11 Season, Denver traded Anthony to the New York Knicks, and he was there to bring them a title. His popularity and profile rose, and though they were swept in the first round (Chauncey Billups and Amar’e Stoudamire were injured), it was believed that the best was yet to come. In Anthony’s second full season in New York, he won his first scoring title (28.7) was again a Second Team All-NBA player and finished third for the MVP, a career-high. They made it to the Second Round, but as much as it looked like they could build on it, this was Melo’s high-water mark with New York. Anthony was still a top scorer and going to All-Star Games (he went to ten in total), but the Knicks were not serious contenders, and he left his prime; his lack of defence was becoming a problem. New York could not build a team around him, and Anthony was not the player that elevated others. He was still regarded as one of the best, but the bloom was off the rose in Gotham. Anthony and Team President Phil Jackson were in constant conflict, and Anthony demanded a trade, which he obtained when he was dealt to Oklahoma City.

In OKC, Anthony was not the same player. Scoring was down, and the holes in his game grew wider. He became a journeyman, playing for Houston in 2019-19, but that lasted only 10 Games, and he had no suitors for the rest of the year. The Portland Trail Blazers signed him a year later, and he played well that season, arguably in a year that could be best described as a redemption tour. Anthony had two more seasons in the league, one more with Portland and another with the Los Angeles Lakers, retiring with an impressive 28,289 Points.

Anthony has the career numbers and the accolades of a Hall of Fame inductee, especially considering he was named to the 75th NBA Anniversary Team. While he did not win as a pro, remember he does own a College Championship and three Olympic Gold Medals. He is not the perfect HOF candidate, but there are a lot of warts in Springfield.

Basketball lost a legend today as New York Knicks icon, Willis Reed, passed away at the age of 80.

A superstar at Grambling State where he led the Tigers to an NAIA Title, Reed was drafted by the New York Knicks with the First Pick of the Second Round of the 1964 Draft.  Reed played at Center and Power Forward, but was incredibly physical at 6’ 9”, allowing him to match up well with the taller opponents of his day.

Reed won the 1964/65 NBA Rookie of the Year Award, and he began a seven-year run as an All-Star, a timeframe that included five All-NBA Selections (one First Team and four Second Team).  As the Knicks built around Reed, he led them to their first NBA Championship in 1970, followed by a second one in 1972.

Knee issues forced Reed to retire in 1974.  He would later become a Coach and Executive.

Reed was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.  He was also named to the NBA’s 50^th and 75^th Anniversary Teams, and his #19 was retired by the Knicks.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the fans, friends and family of Willis Reed.

We honestly think that Tyson Chandler is among one of the most underrated players in the history of basketball, and is that not a strange thing to say out a former second overall pick who played twenty years.  So why would we say that?

Chandler began his pro career with the Bulls, and the hype around him and Eddy Curry was bloated.  They could not bring Chicago back to the promised land, and the five years he spent with Michael Jordan's former team was arguably a bust.  

Traded to the New Orleans Hornets in 2006 and to the Charlotte Bobcats in 2010, it was his lone year in Dallas (2010-11) where he put it all together.  Chandler was outstanding in this environment, and his defensive skills were finally perfected.  Dallas won the NBA Championship, shocking the LeBron James-led Miami Heat, and he entered free agency as a star.

Chandler signed with the Knicks after, and he was one of the best defensive players in the league.  The Californian won the 2011-12 Defensive Player of the Year, and while he was known mainly for that side of the ball, he led the NBA in Field Goal Percentage that year (.679), and from 2010-11 to 2014-15, he led the league four of five times in Offensive Rating.  Chandler also played for Phoenix, the Lakers, and Houston and was a Gold Medalist for the United States in both the 2010 World Championships and 2012 Olympics.

Chandler likely won't get into the Hall, but his numbers are much closer than you think.

Pre-2019-20 Rank: #41, Pre-2020-21 Rank: #36. Pre-2021-22 Rank: #34, Pre-2022-23 Rank: #26, Pre-2023-24 Rank: #27.

Positional Notes: Towns has played more at Power Forward in the last two seasons.

Peak Period: From 2016-17 to 2022-23.

The Karl-Anthony Towns era in Minnesota is over, and it gave us four All-Stars, a pair of Third-Team All-NBAs, and lots of double-doubles.  Last season, Minnesota put the pieces together, but KAT’s playoff was disappointing, and the Timberwolves traded him for Julius Randle.  This move could be a boom or bust move regarding the HOF for Towns, which is still under 30. 

If he brings New York a title alongside Jalen Brunson, would KAT feel more like a Hall of Famer?

There is a lot to dissect when you are speaking about the career of Stephon Marbury, who as a player put up some impressive numbers.  The Point Guard had seven seasons with a PER over 20, would have the most Assists in the 2003/04 Season and averaged 19.3 Points per Game.  “Starbury” would go to two All-Star Games and was twice a Third Team All-NBA selection.  That is the positive part but, in the NBA, he left nothing but scorched earth behind him.  He wanted out of Minnesota, the team that drafted him as he allegedly disliked being in Kevin Garnett’s shadow.  He played well in New Jersey but couldn’t take them to the playoffs and the Point Guard they traded him for (Jason Kidd) took them all the way to the Finals.  His tenure in New York resulted in multiple clashes with coaches and the Knicks rarely were good while he was there.  He did however become a leader, team player and champion in the Chinese League, but that probably won’t factor much in the overall Hall of Fame calculation.

From prep to Rookie of the Year, Amar’e Stoudemire suffered the way many big men have in the past: countless knee problems.  While that was true, Amar’e was a dominating scoring presence in the paint, earning six All-Star appearances and averaging over 20 Points per Game for seven seasons.  Along with Steve Nash, Stoudemire made the Phoenix Suns Championship contenders and hoped to do the same with the New York Knicks and though he got off to a good start, his knee problems would keep him from living up to his full potential, and he would later close out his career in the Isreali League, a country that he adopted as his homeland.

We waited a little bit before we decided to discuss the retirement of Amar’e Stoudemire from the National Basketball Association at the age of 33.  Perhaps it was because it is not know at this time if he will continue to play overseas or because we are not even certain that this will hold.  Regardless, we are going to do that now and ask the question we always ask when we have a retirement of this magnitude; is Amar’e Stoudemire a Hall of Famer?

Coming out of High School as the 9th overall pick in the 2002 Draft, The Phoenix Suns had an immediate star as the big man won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.  He helped elevate Phoenix to an NBA Championship contender, pairing with Steve Nash forming one of the most devastating pairings in professional basketball. 

Five times with the Suns, Stoudemire would make the All-Star Team and he was named a Second Team All-NBA selection three times and a First Team Selection once.  In 2007, he would finish second in MVP voting to the eventual winner, Kobe Bryant.

Opting out of his contract with Suns, Amar’e Stoudemire joined Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks and was still in superstar form, earning another All Star Game appearance and a Second Team All-NBA nod.  Injuries would however pile up and season after season the 6’ 10’’ Stoudemire would become a shell of what he once was.  He would finish his career with stints with Dallas and Miami.

On Tuesday, Stoudemire signed with the Knicks and announced his NBA retirement, proudly stating “Once a Knick, Always a Knick” (though his run in Phoenix was far superior). 

Although Amar’e has no college resume (which can factor in the to Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame) his five All-NBA selections put him on the black side of the Springfield ledger.  He has good career number with a PER of 21.8 and 92.5 Win Shares, though his relatively low VORP (16.81) might raise a few eyebrows and his career Rebounds/Game are not huge for a man his size.

Stating that, Amar’e Stoudemire is a player who competed in the NBA All-Star Game six times; a number that equates to many as a Hall of Famer, though we aren’t ready to usher him in just yet.

He will be eligible for the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021 and will likely be placed on the lower end of our top ten of our Notinhalloffame.com Basketball List.  With Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan eligible the same year, Amar’e won’t get in immediately, and this is one case where if he got inducted in his second year or never, the result would yield equal surprise.

Still, we would like to thank Amar’e for the wonderful run and the memories he gave fans in Phoenix, New York and the NBA fans world over.  It was a great career!

Willie Naulls had decent career numbers, finishing a very respectable 15.8 Point and 9.1 Rebound per Game Average.  He was a four-time All-Star and three-time NBA champion and he was one of the best ever to come from college basketball giant powerhouse that was UCLA.

Professionally, Naulls went to his four All-Stars with the New York Knicks, and in 1959-60 and 1960-61 he received MVP votes.  Traded to the San Francisco Warriors in 1962, his contract was sold to the juggernaut that was the Boston Celtics where he provided depth, and won three consecutive NBA Championships to close his career.

Derek Harper was the partner in crime and backcourt mate of Rolando Blackman for almost a decade in Dallas.  Ironically the closest they ever came to a title is when they were both traded to the Knicks and they came within one game of winning the championship in 1994.  Harper was one of the best all around point guards of his era as he was a great defender who had size and quickness and could both score and distribute.  Harper is widely regarded as one of the best players to never make an All-Star game and when he retired he was 11th in steals and 17th in assists in NBA history.  1,200 regular season games and over 16,000 points don’t hurt his argument either.  Is a solid and consistent career with good overall stats enough to get him in?

Bob Boozer was an unsung and almost forgotten forward who was a two time All-American at Kansas State and a key member of the Milwaukee Bucks championship team run in 1971. Fifteen points a game with eight boards are not incredible but they are solid numbers and his long career should help.  He also sat out the 1959 season playing AAU basketball over the NBA so he could still be eligible for the 60 Olympic Games.  Boozer of course was MVP of the National tournament and led the Peoria Caterpillars to a national championship; that is Hall of Fame worthy isn’t it?

Rolando Blackman is one of the great outside shooters in the history of the league.  A great career at Kansas State led to him being taken 9th overall by the Mavericks in 1981 and his 17,000 career points and an 18 point per game average showed that same ability in the pro ranks.  What is lost is how much of a great team player Rolando was.  He teamed with Mark Aguirre and Derek Harper to turn Dallas into a basketball contender in the 80s.  His two free throws after the buzzer in the 1986 All-Star game while all of the players from both teams watched and laughed was a signature moment for one of the most underrated players of the 80s. 

Mark Jackson may very well be the Dennis Rodman of assists; and Rodman got in to the Hall being a great rebounder. At number three all time on the assist list behind Stockton and Kidd it seems like Jackson some serious consideration by now; of course his reputation as being one dimensional player does not help.  He was too slow, couldn't shoot and never won.  You would think that being able to run a team and being number three all time in anything should at least get you discussed, Then again he is only number thirteen on assists per game: behind number twelve Kevin Porter who is not getting into the Hall of Fame in any time in the near future. 

Michael Ray Richardson could very well be the Dave Parker of basketball.  Michael Ray had all the talent in the world and was well on his way to a Hall of Fame career but cocaine got in the way.  When drafted out of tiny Montana with the fourth pick of the 1978 draft he was hailed as the next Walt Frazier as he had those kinds of offensive and defensive skills; and he did not disappoint.  He became the first player ever to lead the league in assists and steals in his second season and the Garden faithful loved him.  However, he was traded to Golden State as compensation for the signing of Bernard King.  Richardson would then be quickly dealt back to the East Coast where he was sent to New Jersey.  He led the Nets to one of the biggest upsets in NBA history in 1984 when they shocked the defending champion, Philadelphia 76ers.  Things soon unraveled after that and Michael Ray was out of the league by 1986 with a lifetime ban.  A four time All-Star and two time All Defensive First Team selection, Michael Ray had the talent to be an all time great.  Sadly, drugs got in the way.

The image most of us have of Big Bill is getting an entry pass from the wing and throwing his turnaround jumper over some defender and watching it bounce around four or five times and go in; or of course elbowing someone in the face (inadvertently of course) while going for the rebound.  Bill Cartwright was the very definition of old school 70’s and 80’s basketball which carried over to the next decade.  It was also his trade from the Knicks for Charles Oakley that put the Bulls over the top and was the catalyst for the Bulls first three peat.  That seems to be forgotten for some reason.

Simply put how in the heck did Rod Strickland never make an All-Star Game?  He is easily one of the best ten point guards in league history. Strickland is in the top ten for all time assists and 54th all time in games played.  14,000 points and almost 8,000 assists are pretty good career numbers.  Sure he bounced around a lot playing with a total of ten teams in his career but that just shows how malleable he was.  Strickland was a very good player who knew how to run a team and really knew how to get the ball to his teammates but never really learned how to get along that well with others and never was on a consistent winner; but he should have made at least one All-Star Game.

Johnny Green was an undersized power forward (even for the 50’s and 60’s) who was a hard worker under the boards and earned four All-Star game appearances in a long career.  His career stats are what keep him in the discussion; but it won’t get him discussed much.

When professional basketball took the steps to become the modern NBA, Max Zaslofsky was one of their first stars, playing first for the Chicago Stags in 1946-47 of the Basketball Association of America.  Zaslofsky, at age 21, was the youngest man to make the All-League First Team, and it was a record that stood for sixty years until it was broken by LeBron James.

Zaslofsky went on to be a First-Team All-BAA selection the next two years, averaging over 20 Points per Game in a very low-scoring era.  As the Stage migrated to the NBA, the sweet-shooting Zaslofsky was again First Team.  The Stags folded in 1950, and Zaslofsky was able to return home when the New York Knicks in the dispersal draft.  The Guard was still a very good player, adding an All-Star in 1952.  While he never won a title, he did help New York reach two NBA Finals.  He would later be traded to Baltimore, then Milwaukee, and closed his career with three seasons in Fort Wayne.

At the time of his retirement, Max Zaslofsky left an indelible mark on the league. He was the third leading scorer in NBA history, a ranking that placed him just behind the legendary George Mikan and Joe Fulks. Zaslofsky's contributions to the game were further recognized when he was named to the NBA 25th Anniversary Team.