Fans of the New York Knicks are no strangers to disappointment. Even though they’re one of the league’s most famous franchises, they’ve been mired in mediocrity for years thanks to mismanagement, bad ownership, and being unable to land many of their big name targets.

Then again, it may have helped that they didn’t land Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving a few years ago during free agency, because now we all know how those two imploded the Brooklyn Nets franchise.

When they got Jalen Brunson in free agency, there were some who grumbled that they overpaid for the 6’2” point guard. Brunson’s been proving everyone wrong though, as evidenced by his leading the team in scoring in their current seven-game winning streak, where he’s averaging 27.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. He’s putting up 23.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game overall this season so far.

That, in turn, has allowed Julius Randle to have another career resurgence after struggling last season. Randle has capably matched Brunson during the streak as well with 27.4 points, 7.3 rebound and 3.9 assists per game of his own.

The Knicks are getting plenty of help, with three other players putting up double averages in points per game, and Quentin Grimes close to being a fourth with 9.9 points per game.

For a franchise that’s been used to disappointment, it must be nice to see a team that looks like they can compete. That’s important for fanbases that have suffered for a long time, and for proof of that you just have to ask Sacramento Kings fans how they feel about their team’s performance this year.

While the Knicks aren’t yet true contenders, they look like they’re finally on the right path to being a respectable playoff squad again. They’ve got a few tough games ahead, with a six-game stretch that will see them play the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, Sacramento Kings, LA Clippers and LA Lakers. That will test their mettle, but they may just be up for the challenge.