Complete New York Knicks Player Power Rankings After Season's First Month

The 8-8 New York Knicks have a top-three perimeter defense, their starting unit is outstanding and the bench is abysmal. Up is down! Left is right! Cats are dogs!

Just four weeks ago, Bleacher Report's Jared Dubin was asking if the Knicks' second unit was better than the starting five. Lately, though, nobody coming off the New York bench can shoot. Since they first tangled with Jeremy Lin, Jeremy Lamb and the rest of the Charlotte Hornets' superior bench Nov. 11, the Knicks' second unit has looked punch-drunk. In Wednesday's 100-91 loss to the Orlando Magic, they only managed to cobble together 12 points among them. In Monday's 95-78 loss to the Miami Heat, just 10.

The starting five has performed powerfully since shooting guard Arron Afflalo returned from his injury. The Knicks are 4-4 with Afflalo and would have had a few more Ws if the bench hadn't let them down.

One thing the squad has been able to count on is its defense, especially behind the arc. After watching opponents casually rain down threes on the Knicks throughout last season, fans might be surprised to learn that this year, New York is squashing opponents' shooting efficiency from downtown by 4.9 percent, holding them to only 29.5 percent from three-point land. That's second in the league in percentage and first in differential.

With things so topsy-turvy, which Knicks players remain perched at the top of the power rankings and which have tumbled to the bottom?

Reserves: 14-10

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14. Cleanthony Early

Since both Afflalo and Lou Amundson returned from injuries, one healthy Knickerbocker must be made inactive every game. What that means for small forward Cleanthony Early is that lately, he's been wearing uniforms made by Men's Wearhouse instead of Adidas. Considering how dreadful the Knicks bench has played lately, head coach Derek Fisher may want to activate Early and see if he can provide a spark in a small lineup.

13. Sasha Vujacic

Sasha Vujacic had his time in the sun as a starter when Afflalo was injured. Since Afflalo returned, though, Vujacic has spent most of his time riding the pine. He saw more action Wednesday in Orlando but since Afflalo returned, Vujacic has not sunk a single field goal. 

12. Derrick Williams

After a stunning preseason, Derrick Williams is wilting in the spotlight of the regular season. Williams can be an absolutely electric player who can finish a mile above the rim. Yet, his confidence and commitment seem to flicker on and off. After lighting it up with 13.3 points per game in 18 minutes a night in October, he's dimmed to an average of 3.8 points and 7.4 minutes over the past five games, including Wednesday against Orlando when Williams didn't even leave the bench.

11. Kyle O'Quinn

Kyle O'Quinn, the big man from Queens, hasn't had many opportunities to show off his hustle plays lately. He's only played five minutes per game in the past five contests, including two in which he did not see the court, and he hasn't done much hustling in that time. O'Quinn looks fuzzy, and not just on his face. His shot is off, as he's hit just two of eight shots in that time span. He's slow, he's missing out on rebounds that could be his and he's taking his time getting back on D in transition. 

10. Lou Amundson

Lou Amundson, NBA journeyman, is at least reliable. Call him up off the bench and you know you'll get defense, rebounds and hustle in spades. That's how he earned the love of the Knicks coaching staff and the front office that brought him back this season. Occasionally he'll make an impact on offense, too—he dropped nine points on the Hornets on Nov. 11—but it's his infectious energy that will keep Fisher going back for more.  

Bench: 9-6

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9. Jerian Grant

Jerian Grant, the Knicks' rookie point guard, had a sizzling start to the season. He was one of the leaders of the high-flying second unit and could break down defenses with his exceptional ability to drive the lane. Yet, recently, Grant has struggled, causing Marc Berman of the New York Post to say he's already "hit the rookie wall."

Grant is a superb dismantler of defenses but he's not much of a jump-shooter, and during his struggles not even his layups are dropping. He's only shooting 13.3 percent from the field in the past five games. Part of the trouble is, opponents have figured out how to defend against Grant and he doesn't have a way around it. As Fisher said, per the Post's Brian Lewis: 

"

For Jerian, he’s going to have to embrace the opportunity that teams are presenting. If they’re going under screens, you’re going to have to learn to shoot from behind those screens, make teams pay for their adjustment by making an adjustment yourself.’

"

8. Lance Thomas

Lance Thomas is one of the scrappers who came to New York midseason last year. He has a knack for being wherever an opponent doesn't want him to be, grabbing a rebound or clogging up a passing lane.

This season he's been more than just a hustler, though. Thomas has produced significant scoring, too, but like the rest of the bench, that production has started to nosedive lately. He dropped a hot 17 on the Toronto Raptors on Nov. 10, but he's gone scoreless in four of the eight games since then. 

7. Kevin Seraphin

Center Kevin Seraphin began the season playing just a few minutes here and there. Lately, he's been earning more time simply by turning in adequate performances that look heroic in comparison to the hapless efforts of some of his teammates.

Seraphin does have a soft touch with the rock, and he really let it fly in two back-to-back Knicks wins, scoring 12 versus the New Orleans Pelicans on Nov. 15 and 10 against the Hornets on Nov. 17. 

6. Langston Galloway

Langston Galloway is coming off his two worst games of the season, but he is still unequivocally the Knicks' sixth man, and they couldn't ask for better.

He excels at the point or at the 2, regardless of who he's sharing a backcourt with. He is hustle incarnate. He logged five steals against the Oklahoma City Thunder alone. He is the deliverer of buzzer-beating triples.

So what if he's 1-of-14 from the field over the past two games? Galloway is still the definition of "clutch" in New York.

5. Jose Calderon

Jose Calderon can no longer be the butt of our jokes—and nobody mourns that fact more than I do. 

Last season, Calderon nursed an injured Achilles, but one couldn't help but wonder if there was an even worse injury in his head—what else could cause so many bad passes, air balls and shot clock violations. This season, Calderon's not stacking up those sorts of mistakes.

The veteran point guard is a big reason the Knicks' perimeter defense is so strong. He's holding opponents to 5.3 percent beneath their usual shooting efficiency behind the arc.  

It took a while for him to find his shot, but in the last five games Calderon has shot 52.8 percent from the field and even better, 57.9 percent, from downtown. 

What he doesn't do is drive. If only Calderon's jumper and Grant's drives could be combined into one point guard. Now that would be something.

4. Arron Afflalo

Arron Afflalo returned from his injury, and the Knicks starting lineup quite suddenly clicked. He and Calderon communicate well, and they make for an effective backcourt that makes the starting five really cook.

At his best, Afflalo is gorgeous to watch when shooting off the dribble, letting it fly and swishing shots while confused defenders are still waiting for him to set his feet. 

He hasn't needed to be "the" second scorer—because Kristaps Porzingis has taken that role—but he's been solid. Unfortunately, if the bench doesn't get its act together, the Knicks will require a little bit more than Afflalo's 41.8 field-goal percentage and his 12.1 much-needed points a night. 

Where Afflalo could be helping more is on defense, something which has been a strength of his in the past. He's got the second-worst defensive rating on the team, better only than O'Quinn. He does a decent job guarding the perimeter, but he's getting burned as soon as opponents step inside the arc.

3. Robin Lopez

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Robin Lopez has a unique energy, from the tips of his toes to the ends of his dreadlocks. He's not one of those beefy, brawling type of centers. He holds it down by being a gangly pest, à la Joakim Noah, and swatting away whatever he can. He might look a little funny, but he's a smart defender who uses his fouls wisely.

The Knicks chose him for his defensive intensity, but Lopez often kickstarts the Knicks' offense, too. Most of his 8.2 points per game come very early in games. When the rest of his teammates are still searching for their stroke, Lopez is quite often the one who puts the Knicks on the board in the first quarter with a jump hook, a bank shot or a putback dunk.

Plus, he's been keeping unruly NBA mascots in check. Lopez took down another in Houston on Saturday, tackling Clutch the Rockets Bear after being rudely sprayed with a fire extinguisher. Although, Lopez would have to agree that he lost to Stuff the Magic Dragon in Orlando on Wednesday.

2. Kristaps Porzingis

No, Kristaps Porzingis is not No. 1 in the power rankings. Not yet.

But he's awfully close. Just 12 games into the season, his 29-point, 11-rebound performance at home in the second meeting with the Hornets was so inspiring that the Madison Square Garden crowd cheered "Por-zing-is," while Knicks legend Willis Reed clapped appreciatively. Patrick Ewing, also in attendance as a coach on the Charlotte bench, called him "a force to be reckoned with," per Berman.

Porzingis has been outstanding. With averages of 13.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.8 blocks along with seven double-doubles, he's nipping at the heels of the Minnesota Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns on the rookie leaderboards and has something Towns doesn't: a smooth three-pointer.

The young man is everywhere. He's got the soft touch on the long ball, and he can bat them in off the glass down low. He can swat away an opponent's shot before they've even decided to shoot it. He can slam a putback jam right over the heads of LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Love.

More importantly, he's tough mentally. He has the right combination of confidence and humility—he's in New York and he knows he can ball, but he's not enamored with himself or his instant stardom. 

Porzingis is delivering far more than anyone expected of him at this point. But someone is delivering more.

1. Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony is still numero uno on this team, and he's earning his spot at the top in ways he's never earned it before.

Anthony is currently the best defender on the New York Knicks. Gasp! Not only that, he's becoming one of the best defenders in the whole league.

In this bizarro, upside-down world I've just described, Carmelo Anthony is causing opponents to shoot 11.1 percent below their usual shooting efficiency. That defensive differential is one of the best in the league—better than Kawhi Leonard, Draymond Green, Joakim Noah and nearly everyone else in the NBA.

Melo hustles, he scrambles, he blocks, he steals, he makes them fight him on both ends now. He averages one steal per game and picked four of the Miami Heat's pockets Monday alone. Melo is leading by example through tough defense, and now the Knicks have some of the strongest D around.

He's also become a far more vocal leader.

When Calderon or Galloway drills a clutch three, who jumps off the bench to cheer loudest? Carmelo. Wednesday night, when the Magic's Jason Smith knocked Porzingis to the ground and began growling trash talk at him, who stepped in and told Smith to back off? Carmelo. When Miami's Hassan Whiteside slammed Lopez down with an elbow and RoLo was wrongfully called for a foul, who yelled at Whiteside for the cheap shot and the ref for the bad call? Carmelo.

All that, and the man still manages to score 22.8 points a night. That might be a little low by Melo standards, but it's still 12th in the league.

Now, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that his defensive numbers have been lower lately than at the beginning of the season. Whether that's a result of him having to focus more on offense and get less rest while the bench is struggling or him losing his resolve to be a defender, we'll have to wait and see.

Nevertheless, the fact remains, those of us who weren't Anthony fans in the past may soon need to reassess those opinions. The old criticisms aren't holding up.

All stats are from NBA.com/stats and up-to-date as of Nov. 26. Follow Sara Peters @3fromthe7.