Knicks blatantly proving why winning No. 1 seed is a must

Charlotte Hornets v New York Knicks | Kenneth Richmond/GettyImagesAfter a brief spell down in the mid-tier section of the Eastern Conference standings, the New York Knicks are back in the second seed thanks to their ongoing three-game win streak.

Considering their 16-7 record, coupled with the fact that they're the conference's runner-ups from last year's playoff excursion, the expectation is that they will once again be a serious threat to represent the East in this year's NBA Finals.

In fact, as of this writing, they are tabbed as the favorites to do so.

However, with every passing game, it becomes more apparent that, in order to thrust themselves over the hump and into the championship…