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Schmeelk: Will The Real Knicks Please Stand Up?

By John Schmeelk
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On Sunday, the Knicks played their best game of the season. The Hawks came into Madison Square Garden with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference at 9-3. Playing against a physical center in Dwight Howard, the Knicks were without Joakim Noah (out with an illness) and had to start Kyle O'Quinn.

The Knicks answered by beating the Hawks convincingly, 104-94. Against the league's best defense, New York shot 48 percent from the field and was more or less even on the boards. There was a lot to like about the way the Knicks played, but it started with their defense. If the Knicks gave the type of defensive effort they did on Sunday every night, their record would be far better than 6-7.

The Hawks shot only 40 percent from the field, despite shooting 48 percent on the season, which was the second-best number in the league after the Warriors. A special nod needs to be given to Derrick Rose, who held Dennis Schroder to just one point on 0-of-8 shooting. The Knicks' big men (O'Quinn, Willy Hernangomez and Kristaps Porzingis) also did a good job on Howard, despite his 12 offensive rebounds and 18 points. Porzingis managed to defend Paul Millsap pretty well, too.

On offense, the Knicks took advantage of a hot game from Carmelo Anthony, who shot 12-of-22 and scored 31 points. His jump shot was working, and the Hawks never really found an answer for him. Rose's numbers looked average (5-of-14, 14 points, seven assists), but he was active and got his teammates involved.

New York Knicks V Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks' Kyle Korver goes up for a layup against the Knicks on Nov. 20, 2016, at Madison Square Garden. Copyright 2016 NBAE. (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)

Porzingis didn't seem to have a dominant game, but he still managed a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. You know a player has taken the next step when he can put up those numbers in a game that seems quiet.

More than any other Knicks team over the past decade, this year's squad has been Jekyll and Hyde. In their previous game, the Knicks pulled a no-show and played like garbage against a bad Wizards team. But on Sunday, they beat a good team and played extremely well.

On Saturday, the Knicks had one of many team meetings they have held over the years, but those things rarely have a lasting impact. Instead, the team's stars (Anthony, Rose, Porzingis, Brandon Jennings and eventually Noah) have to consistently play hard and well on defense. The offense should come given the variety of scorers on the roster, but the defense is only going to be consistently good if those players commit to playing hard on every possession and setting an example for their teammates. They did it against Atlanta.

Starting slowly this year should have been no surprise given Noah's preseason hamstring injury and Rose's civil trial. It's possible the Knicks are still figuring out how to play together, and there will be far more Dr. Jekyll as the team goes along. However, until their defense becomes more consistent, that's not going to happen.

Just 13 games into the season, the Knicks are 6-7, and fans have a reason to be optimistic. There's just no telling what Knicks team is going to show up each night. The good Knicks could make some noise in the playoffs, while the bad Knicks won't find themselves playing anything resembling playoff basketball.

The Knicks have yet to show their true selves, and it might be some time until we see them.

For everything Knicks, Giants and the world of sports, please follow John at @Schmeelk

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