The Knicks the team to beat in the East?

knicksfan974 · Post #1 » by **knicksfan974** » Tue Jul 1, 2025 9:56 pm

C Mitchell Robinson
PF Karl-Anthony Towns
SF O.G. Anunoby
SG Mikal Bridges
PG Jalen Brunson

Bench:
Josh Hart
Deuce McBride
Guerschon Yabusele
Jordan Clarkson

That's a legit 9-man rotation right there. Don't see many teams in the Eastern Conference that could seriously threathen them in a seven game playoffs series.

BigGargamel · Post #2 » by **BigGargamel** » Tue Jul 1, 2025 9:57 pm

Are they going to be the first team in NBA history to go into the season without a coach?

GiannisAnte34 · Post #3 » by **GiannisAnte34** » Tue Jul 1, 2025 10:01 pm

I’d say it’s Knicks and Cavs tied for that top tier in the East but both of them are susceptible to being upset

Patches Perry · Post #4 » by **Patches Perry** » Tue Jul 1, 2025 10:03 pm

NY and Cleveland are default favorites. I'm tempted to say Indiana could be better than people think despite Hali/Turner but I'm not brave enough.

WargamesX · Post #5 » by **WargamesX** » Tue Jul 1, 2025 10:04 pm

Knicks Cavs with Philly, ATL, and Orlando as dark horses.

JujitsuFlip · Post #6 » by **JujitsuFlip** » Tue Jul 1, 2025 10:08 pm

I don't think they're the favorite, no.

Maybe who they hire as head coach could alter that, we'll see.

Optms · Post #7 » by **Optms** » Tue Jul 1, 2025 10:11 pm

They don't even have a coach.

Thankfully East is wide open. No INDY and Tatum is cooked. If they can find a decent coach then yes. They will be up there with the Cavs and possibly Magic, Pistons.

California Gold · Post #8 » by **California Gold** » Tue Jul 1, 2025 10:19 pm

The East is more jam packed to me at the top. A few teams can win it, I don't know if there's one team that truly stands out over another.

jkvonny · Post #9 » by **jkvonny** » Wed Jul 2, 2025 4:00 am

Put me in , coach!

:eek1:

doogie_hauser · Post #10 » by **doogie_hauser** » Wed Jul 2, 2025 4:04 am

Talent wise they are not in the top 3 of the East (Cavs, Pistons and Magic)

Don't even think they are as good as Atlanta now either.

This team's ceiling is the 2nd round.

stuporman · Post #11 » by **stuporman** » Wed Jul 2, 2025 4:04 am

The Knicks are going to hire an AI coach and set the trend for the future...of course they will pick the wrong one and screw it up...

Cavs still the team to beat, though.

doogie_hauser · Post #12 » by **doogie_hauser** » Wed Jul 2, 2025 4:49 am

Everyone forgets how close they were to losing to The Pistons in the first round (who have now bolstered their roster with a couple of good moves)

They are exposed by lack of pace by teams with young, athletic two way wings like the Pacers and Pistons in last year's play-offs and now Orlando and Atlanta have gotten a lot stronger with their off seasons moves too.

If they want to contend, they have to trade Bridges and get some decent role players for their bench as well as a decent back up center to Mitchell Robinson.

OG and Bridges cannot work functionally together on the same team, Thibs or no Thibs

KAT being an defensive liability is also a pretty big concern of him (although granted his form before he got injured a couple of weeks before the AllStar game was one of the top 3 or 4 best players in the NBA)

The Knicks kept proving me wrong last season though and wouldn't surprise me if they did again

I definitely don't think they would want to run into Trey and the revamped Hawks in the play-offs either as fun a series that would be for neutrals.

If some of their young players like Kolek can step up and provide quality minutes next season that would be a massive help obviously.

This is where a younger coach is more beneficial than an older retread like Mike Brown, he is more likely to have trust in the younger/unproven players.

Upperclass · Post #13 » by **Upperclass** » Wed Jul 2, 2025 4:50 am

Not with Mike Brown as their head coach

Post #14 » by **Capn'O** » Wed Jul 2, 2025 4:51 am

BigGargamel wrote:Are they going to be the first team in NBA history to go into the season without a coach?

They will not be.

Post #15 » by **Capn'O** » Wed Jul 2, 2025 4:53 am

doogie_hauser wrote:Talent wise they are not in the top 3 of the East (Cavs, Pistons and Magic)

Don't even think they are as good as Atlanta now either.

This team's ceiling is the 2nd round.

The same team that just went to the conference finals and upgraded their bench while bringing back all their core players has a 2nd round ceiling?

You're better than this.

Post #16 » by **Diop** » Wed Jul 2, 2025 4:57 am

knicksfan974 wrote:Don't see many teams in the Eastern Conference that could seriously threathen them in a seven game playoffs series.

pretty sure I heard this last preseason as well.

Lalouie · Post #17 » by **Lalouie** » Wed Jul 2, 2025 4:58 am

with brown?

Post #18 » by **Capn'O** » Wed Jul 2, 2025 5:04 am

Diop wrote:
knicksfan974 wrote:Don't see many teams in the Eastern Conference that could seriously threathen them in a seven game playoffs series.

pretty sure I heard this last preseason as well.

And... wait for it... we got to the eastern conference finals which means there weren't many teams that could beat us. So we were right.

doogie_hauser · Post #19 » by **doogie_hauser** » Wed Jul 2, 2025 5:05 am

Still think it's a bit odd they haven't announced a coach yet (although it does seem likely it will happen sometime this week, maybe in the next 48 hours)

I hope for their fans sake they don't go down the Mike Brown route .

Don't know why Taylor Jenkins stocks is suddenly gone Ice Cold. I guess there was a lot more to his firing from the Grizzlies than has been reported publicly

vxmike · Post #20 » by **vxmike** » Wed Jul 2, 2025 5:06 am

WargamesX wrote:Knicks Cavs with Philly, ATL, and Orlando as dark horses.

Lose Philly and I agree. Both PG and Embiid are about finished.