The New York Knicks are 22-7 in their last 29 games and have had a stellar record since an embarrassing loss to the Dallas Mavericks at home back in January.

By any metric, the Knicks are a great team. They’ve won six in a row, rank fifth in the league in point differential, and fifth in opposing points per game. And yet, there’s still this feeling that the Knicks have another gear they need to hit. This team is no longer the little engine that could - the Knicks have been a championship contender for some time now, and with that, expectations have changed.

But in order to reach their potential, the Knicks need to end this trend of starting games slowly and playing down to their competition. Josh Hart needs to shoot when he’s open, and the Knicks need to identify and finalize their 10-man rotation for the playoffs.

Fans want to know that their team can compete with the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Detroit Pistons. And although the Knicks have yet to beat either team this season, there are signs they’re headed in the right direction. Taking a look at the advanced analytics, the Knicks rank third in offensive rating (same spot from our last check-in), fifth in defensive rating (up two spots), and fifth in net rating (same spot).

Since the All-Star break, the Knicks are 12-5, and own the league’s fifth-best defensive rating. And while their defense has vastly improved from the beginning of the season, they have still managed to start games, especially against lesser opponents, with low energy and focus. Last week, Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News wrote that:

“Since February 24th, the Knicks ranked 27th in first quarter net rating, with opponents outscoring them by 14 points per 100 possessions to open games.”

Throughout the season, head coach Mike Brown has often attributed slow starts to not being physical enough on the offensive end of the ball, and conversely, not being comfortable enough with the opposing team’s physicality on the defensive side.

I’ve long felt that when both Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby start games the way they should — active and energetic guarding pick-and-rolls and dribble-hand-offs, keeping opposing players in front of them — the Knicks are a completely different team. However, when both players take their feet off the gas pedal, the whole team seems to follow their lead.

Prior to a loss in early March at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers, Jordan Clarkson played no more than 10 minutes a night during his previous nine games. And even though the Knicks lost, Clarkson was one of the few in orange and blue who showed up with the requisite effort needed to play an NBA game.

Since that game versus the Lakers, Clarkson has averaged 10.6 points per game while shooting 48.9 percent from the field. Most notably, it feels like Clarkson is attacking the paint more and not settling for contested jump shots. As a result, according to Mike Brown, Clarkson is currently ahead of Mohamed Diawara in the Knicks’ rotation.

Clarkson’s resurgence couldn’t come at a better time. With Landry Shamet recently injured and still no concrete timetable on Deuce McBride’s return from injury, Clarkson could provide a key role in the second unit during the playoffs. Jordan Clarkson with a better shot selection and a renewed commitment to defense is nothing to sneeze at.

Josh Hart has hit his last nine three-point attempts and is shooting just over 40 percent from deep this season. If I had told you that at the beginning of the season, you would probably guess the Knicks are due for a deep playoff run. Let’s hope!

Hart has recently talked about the balance between getting his teammates involved in the offense and being aggressive with his shot. With the starting lineup, Josh prefers to sacrifice knowing that getting his teammates hot will pay dividends later in the game. But what he has to understand is that opposing teams will still leave him open unless he makes them pay. And at that point, it won’t matter if his teammates are on a heater or not, because the ball will find it’s way to the person who doesn’t want it.

At times, it feels like putting up a shot in rhythm, as opposed to hesitating and waiting for a dribble-hand-off, or a teammate coming off a down screen is a better option even if he misses. A confident Josh Hart makes the Knicks almost impossible to guard.

As we move into the last 10 games of the season, the Knicks will face tough challenges away from home against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, and Atlanta Hawks. The orange and blue will also face potential first-round matchups in the Toronto Raptors and Charlotte Hornets (twice).

For one, I think the uptick in difficulty level at the end of season is good for the Knicks. This team needs go into the playoffs with a high level of focus. Although it’s possible that teams will rest players, and the competition will suffer as a result, I’d much rather see them play teams in postseason contention than teams that are tanking for lottery balls.