THE The New York Knicks received a high placement in a recent power ranking ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season.
The Knicks are coming off a 2023-24 campaign in which they won 50 games and finished second in the Eastern Conference behind the defending champion Boston Celtics. The Knicks were led by Jalen Brunson, who was named to the NBA All-Star team for the first time and finished among the top five MVP candidates as well as on the All-NBA Second Team.
Despite the numerous injuries the Knicks dealt with throughout the previous campaign, they should enter next season with much of their core intact along with several notable offseason acquisitions that make them, in the eyes of one publication, the most formidable team that could end the Celtics’ run to back-to-back titles.
Knicks ranked second best team in East for next season
John Schuhmann of NBA.com Schuhmann recently ranked the league’s 15 Eastern Conference teams. Schuhmann prioritized the Boston Celtics as his No. 1 seed, but the Knicks were right behind them. Schuhmann justified placing the Knicks above several other Eastern Conference contenders, such as the Philadelphia 76ers (No. 3) and Indiana Pacers (No. 4), who reached the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2024. The Milwaukee Bucks, who are considered year-over-year threats to win the title, rounded out his top five.
The Knicks will likely see a dramatic improvement in the scoring department next season with the addition of Mikal Bridges. Additionally, perimeter defense should see an increase, as they have two of the best on-ball defenders in all of basketball in Bridges and 2023 steals leader OG Anunoby, who will allow the Knicks to regularly switch against an array of defenses and play small and fast.
So their 112.4 defensive rating, which ranked ninth in the NBA a year ago, could vault them into the league’s top five. The same can be said of their 117.3 offensive rating, which came despite the absence of Julius Randle, New York’s second option in the 2024 All-Star Game, for much of last season following his dislocated shoulder suffered on Jan. 27.
On paper, the Knicks look like a team that has the talent, skill, depth and coaching, as well as a positive trajectory, leaning more toward the high-octane style of play of today’s game rather than the relentless, relentless pace of years past, to make a serious run at the Finals. But beyond the numbers, the Knicks will have to contend with several teams in the East.
What are the other biggest threats to the Knicks in the East?
The Knicks also made significant upgrades to their roster on both ends of the floor. The 76ers’ power trio of former 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid and All-Stars Tyrese Maxey and Paul George have the assets to knock the Knicks out of contention in a potential rematch of last season’s playoff series. The Knicks The Red Devils won their first-round series 4-2, which raised their profile. Still, Embiid was injured throughout the series and now their revamped roster, which also includes several role players who can produce from the outside and on defense, makes them a major threat.
The Pacers have another year of experience for their young core, led by reigning All-Star Tyrese Haliburton, former 2019 NBA champion Pascal Siakam and rising star Andrew Nembhard, which could pay dividends in next year’s playoffs. Not to mention the Bucks and their big three that includes perennial MVP candidates in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, as well as their star tertiary in Khris Middleton, who not only battled injuries throughout last season but has also been quiet in terms of production over the past two years.
There’s no reason to scoff at projections that have the Knicks as the second-best team in the East. They have the makings of a team that can make even more noise than they have so far, under Julius Randle, next time around. Still, the East has enough teams that have reached the NBA’s pinnacle or are close enough to want to get back there, and they’ll be looking to thwart the Knicks on their own path to championship glory.
