What We've Learned from the New York Knicks So Far This Season

The New York Knicks have been closely monitored by analysts and fans since well before the season started. Despite how the team may look on paper, fans were curious to see how the "new and improved" roster would mesh together in the hopes that it could take the city to the playoffs.

We are now in Week 3 of the NBA season, and from what we have seen so far, the Knicks will be just fine. Despite having a 2-4 record, they have shown a lot of positive signs to look forward to. Let's dive into a few takeaways thus far in this very young season.

The future is in Kristaps Porzingis

Fourth overall pick Kristaps Porzingis wants us to know one thing: He's arrived and ready to romp with the best of them. It was undeniable that the young man could score, but many were worried about his size. Yes, he's 7'2", but he's also very slim. Would he be able to hold his own against more muscular and experienced opponents?

The answer is yes. Over the first seven games of the season, Porzingis has maintained an average of 12.3 points and 8.6 rebounds. In the Knicks' most recent game against the Los Angeles Lakers this past Sunday, he picked up an impressive 10 rebounds while putting in 12 points. According to Howie Kussoy of the New York Post, he has struggled a bit offensively since his debut, only hitting 39.5 percent of shots from the field and 22.7 percent from three-point range. Luckily for him, his aggressiveness and grit almost overshadows those struggles, especially when he leaves us with moments like these as souvenirs:

The young Latvian has received praise from many in and around the league, including NBA legend and analyst Magic Johnson, who applauded Knicks president Phil Jackson for getting "the steal of the draft."

After Sunday's game against the Lakers, superstar Kobe Bryant even had some encouraging words for the young star, telling him, "Keep working young fella, you have a bright future ahead of you," per Baxter Holmes of ESPN. 

Melo's style of leadership may be different, but it's working

One argument that is constantly being made surrounds Carmelo Anthony's leadership style. Many critics have questioned whether or not he is an effective voice in the locker room, or if he even cares to have one at all. Unlike many of his fellow, more vocal leaguemates, like LeBron James and Chris Paul, Melo leads more by example and through his actions. 

Two key characteristics of an effective leader are being supportive and patient, which he has displayed more of so far this month. Melo spoke to ESPN New York's Ian Begley about being more patient this time around than he was in previous seasons:

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[There’s] a little more, a lot more patience that I have to have with this team. I know we lost three games straight, but there’s still some patience that I have to have with this team, with myself, kind of working my way back into the flow of things. Trying to find that rhythm for myself. So there’s some patience that needs to be had.

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He also spoke to Begley about being supportive of his teammates, especially the younger guys like Porzingis, Langston Galloway and Jerian Grant:

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That’s one thing about this team. Guys work. So that’s why I do believe that it’s going to turn around. If you’re out there by yourself fighting and competing and just trying to do everything by yourself and you feel like nobody else is with you, then that’s a dagger right there. That takes everything out of you -- exerting more energy than you have to. But when you know you have guys out there working with you, that are willing to get better, willing to put the work in, actually putting the work in to get better -- individually and as a team -- it makes that process easy.

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The Knicks will visit the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. ET.