New here - Checking in about ECF challengers to the Knicks?

[Novaknicks]

Hello all,

I just joined and I've been a knicks fan since the 90s. Was very excited to finally see us go deep into the playoffs. The coaching thing was a bit of a head scratcher but I am glad Thibs is gone. Not sure about Brown though.

Now that Boston and are both toast for next season, who Stands in the way of the Knicks going to the finals?
Clev is good but beatable.

I think ATL and ORL have both upgraded a lot.

ATL has KP, Alexander=Walker and Kennard. Are they good enough to beat us? I have doubts about KP and Trae fit. KP didnt like playing with Luca. Not sure what to expect?
Orlando added Bane. I think they may even get to 47-50 wins

Thoughts??

[Jalen Bluntson]

Cool story ball boy. Now STFU AND GTFO!!

[Novaknicks]

Huh?

[Moose]

I know this is probably a troll post or something silly, but considering they got beat by the Pacers, I'd say there are at least a few teams who can knock off the Knicks (and vice versa)

Cavs are probably the best team, but I think it's going to be a fairly competitive conference/playoffs.

[8516knicks]

I know this is probably a troll post or something silly, but considering they got beat by the Pacers, I'd say there are at least a few teams who can knock off the Knicks (and vice versa)

Cavs are probably the best team, but I think it's going to be a fairly competitive conference/playoffs.

ESPN ran a story placing the East in tiers. Top tier had 2 teams - Cavs #1 and Knicks right behind them.

[Jalen Bluntson]

What happened to this place?!?! YOU CAN ALL STFU AND GTFO NOW!!

[Luv those Knicks]

Hello all,

I just joined and I've been a knicks fan since the 90s. Was very excited to finally see us go deep into the playoffs. The coaching thing was a bit of a head scratcher but I am glad Thibs is gone. Not sure about Brown though.

Now that Boston and are both toast for next season, who Stands in the way of the Knicks going to the finals?
Clev is good but beatable.

I think ATL and ORL have both upgraded a lot.

ATL has KP, Alexander=Walker and Kennard. Are they good enough to beat us? I have doubts about KP and Trae fit. KP didnt like playing with Luca. Not sure what to expect?
Orlando added Bane. I think they may even get to 47-50 wins

Thoughts??

I think this is a legit post, and welcome Nova. Nice name. Nova also means new and you're a new poster. Works on 2 fronts.

If you believe Vegas, Cleveland is ahead of NY in betting odds, but it's close. +750 to +800.

Vegas should be taken with a grain of salt because they reflect bets placed more than expert analysis.

https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba?tab=nba-finals

Orlando is a distant 3rd at +1600

The Hawks, a distant 4th +2900 and Phily 5th at +3300

Philly still has talent. They drafted a nice rookie last year who got hurt and missed the 2nd half. They have Embiid & Paul George, both banged up but talented, so Philly being the 5th team according to betting odds, might sound strange, but it's not as off as it sounds.

Detroit 6, Boston 7, Milwaukee 8, Indy 9, Miami 10, Craptors 11.

With the Bulls, Nets, Hornets & Wizards each at roughly 100 to 1, and I don't like those odds.

Milwaukee, if things work out with Myles Turner could be a pesky playoff opponant, but I think they're still a long shot.

Atlanta needs to mesh first. I don't think they're there yet and KP has serious playing time issues.

Orlando is fun, but lets see how they come together.

I think Vegas has it right. The Cavs kicked our buts last year. It wasn't even close when we played them, and I think they were injured when Indy beat them. They'd be my #1 choice for biggest opponent, right now. They lost Ty Jerome, but he was 10th on their roster in minutes and they might still be a 60 win team with a deep roster without him.

All of that said - any season is a crap shoot. You never know which team will have injury problems come playoffs and you never know which team will make a trade to improve their chances. Thomas Bryant was a cheap addition by Indi 2 months into the season last year, but he definitely helped them. Making predictions now is an exercise in futility, because it almost never ends up like people predict.

But to answer your question, Cleveland is probably the biggest threat. I wouldn't sleep on Detroit if they can keep improving. Orlando is a wait and see how they play together but they have a shot. . . . Milwaukee & Philly are what I'd call sleepers but I wouldn't be 100% shocked to see either of them step up and be a threat in the playoffs. I don't believe in Atlanta as much as some people do. The talent is there on paper, but wait and see what they can do.

Just my 2 cents.

If there was already a power rankings thread or something similar, then this thread would probably get closed, but I don't see one, so I don't see a reason not to talk about who looks like the biggest threat to us. Though, the fact is, this early, we're all just guessing.

[Jalen Bluntson]

Jesus

[FrozenEnvelope]

Welcome Nova! Nothing is ever guaranteed. Brown could be the ultimate failure and we'll regress badly.

Or we might not. Offseason isn't over so we still might make a trade. I honestly still have a little bit of fear we'll trade for LeBum which would end badly.

Ask me again around Christmas.

[RHODEY]

I know this is probably a troll post or something silly, but considering they got beat by the Pacers, I'd say there are at least a few teams who can knock off the Knicks (and vice versa)

Cavs are probably the best team, but I think it's going to be a fairly competitive conference/playoffs.

Well we did improve...bench and coaching.,, whiles Cavs lost potent bench pieces and start the season with an injured Garland.

[Jalen Bluntson]

My first post on here I was greeted with STFU and GTFO by about 3000 people!!!!!!!

What's good?

Welcome to the board Nova.

The East has definitely changed almost over night. The injuries in the playoffs vaults a few teams to the top. As of right now, NYK is the healthiest of the survivors but, we just got a new HC so, how fast will they come together? That's our biggest question.

CLE will be limping to start the season. Haven't really paid attention to their off season though. I expect them to be pretty good though.
ATL shaking and moving has been interesting but, what will they look like on court? They made quite a few changes over there.
DET will be better and deeper. They will be a tough team.
ORL made some solid moves too. They will be tougher but, does Bane really solve all of their problems? Another tough team though.
BOS will drop a bit but, they are still a good team. Took quite a few hits though since the Tatum injury.
IND got slammed losing Halibitch and Turner. Still a well coached team. I don't know that they will drop off the charts.
MIL still has Giannis and added Turner. Too soon to tell with the rumors.
I haven't taken a deep dive into the rest of the teams yet. This list was just top of the head because it's still early in the summer.

I guess looking at this list...I think CLE/DET/ORL will be tougher than the rest. ATL being a ? but, I have not really invested much thought on this yet. Too soon to tell for me.

Now STFU AND GTFO AGAIN!!! BALLBOY!!

[Novaknicks]

Hello all,

I just joined and I've been a knicks fan since the 90s. Was very excited to finally see us go deep into the playoffs. The coaching thing was a bit of a head scratcher but I am glad Thibs is gone. Not sure about Brown though.

Now that Boston and are both toast for next season, who Stands in the way of the Knicks going to the finals?
Clev is good but beatable.

I think ATL and ORL have both upgraded a lot.

ATL has KP, Alexander=Walker and Kennard. Are they good enough to beat us? I have doubts about KP and Trae fit. KP didnt like playing with Luca. Not sure what to expect?
Orlando added Bane. I think they may even get to 47-50 wins

Thoughts??

I think this is a legit post, and welcome Nova. Nice name. Nova also means new and you're a new poster. Works on 2 fronts.

If you believe Vegas, Cleveland is ahead of NY in betting odds, but it's close. +750 to +800.

Vegas should be taken with a grain of salt because they reflect bets placed more than expert analysis.

https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba?tab=nba-finals

Orlando is a distant 3rd at +1600

The Hawks, a distant 4th +2900 and Phily 5th at +3300

Philly still has talent. They drafted a nice rookie last year who got hurt and missed the 2nd half. They have Embiid & Paul George, both banged up but talented, so Philly being the 5th team according to betting odds, might sound strange, but it's not as off as it sounds.

Detroit 6, Boston 7, Milwaukee 8, Indy 9, Miami 10, Craptors 11.

With the Bulls, Nets, Hornets & Wizards each at roughly 100 to 1, and I don't like those odds.

Milwaukee, if things work out with Myles Turner could be a pesky playoff opponant, but I think they're still a long shot.

Atlanta needs to mesh first. I don't think they're there yet and KP has serious playing time issues.

Orlando is fun, but lets see how they come together.

I think Vegas has it right. The Cavs kicked our buts last year. It wasn't even close when we played them, and I think they were injured when Indy beat them. They'd be my #1 choice for biggest opponent, right now. They lost Ty Jerome, but he was 10th on their roster in minutes and they might still be a 60 win team with a deep roster without him.

All of that said - any season is a crap shoot. You never know which team will have injury problems come playoffs and you never know which team will make a trade to improve their chances. Thomas Bryant was a cheap addition by Indi 2 months into the season last year, but he definitely helped them. Making predictions now is an exercise in futility, because it almost never ends up like people predict.

But to answer your question, Cleveland is probably the biggest threat. I wouldn't sleep on Detroit if they can keep improving. Orlando is a wait and see how they play together but they have a shot. . . . Milwaukee & Philly are what I'd call sleepers but I wouldn't be 100% shocked to see either of them step up and be a threat in the playoffs. I don't believe in Atlanta as much as some people do. The talent is there on paper, but wait and see what they can do.

Just my 2 cents.

If there was already a power rankings thread or something similar, then this thread would probably get closed, but I don't see one, so I don't see a reason not to talk about who looks like the biggest threat to us. Though, the fact is, this early, we're all just guessing.

Thanks for your well thought out reply. I think Cle is the top seed as well. I do feel we can handle them in the playoffs. I think Orlando and Detroit are the teams in scared of. But Detroit did nothing in the offseason.
I am not saying Philly isn't good, but those guys always get hurt.

I am also not very happy with our own off-season. I realize we had no really room to maneuver, and we did add scoring to the bench. But the disaster still feels like it lacks fit or coherence.

I guess we'll see - what can Brown do for us

[Novaknicks]

Welcome Nova! Nothing is ever guaranteed. Brown could be the ultimate failure and we'll regress badly.

Or we might not. Offseason isn't over so we still might make a trade. I honestly still have a little bit of fear we'll trade for LeBum which would end badly.

Ask me again around Christmas.

Yeah I don't want LeDouche either. And I am glad we didn't pursue KD. Having said that, I think I would really like to see what this team can do when coach runs an actual offense with set plays.

[Novaknicks]

I know this is probably a troll post or something silly, but considering they got beat by the Pacers, I'd say there are at least a few teams who can knock off the Knicks (and vice versa)

Cavs are probably the best team, but I think it's going to be a fairly competitive conference/playoffs.

Why did you think it was a troll post? It was simple question. Two ECF teams made a lot of big moves, are you scared of either? And with Indy/Boston out if contention (barring something totally unfireseen) which teams would hero the Knixks or if the ECF?

I think you did answer that second question. Thanks

[Luv those Knicks]

Thanks for your well thought out reply. I think Cle is the top seed as well. I do feel we can handle them in the playoffs. I think Orlando and Detroit are the teams in scared of. But Detroit did nothing in the offseason.
I am not saying Philly isn't good, but those guys always get hurt.

I am also not very happy with our own off-season. I realize we had no really room to maneuver, and we did add scoring to the bench. But the disaster still feels like it lacks fit or coherence.

I guess we'll see - what can Brown do for us

I feel much better about our off-season than you do and most people feel the same based on what I've read.

Yabusele is a steal. He's a big man who can shoot 3s. His defense is weak, but if he takes Josh Hart's starting spot, he's another weapon. Josh hurt us sometimes on offense, though he's obviously good in other areas.

Clarkson is more hit or miss, but he can give us a spark off the bench. I like McBride, but he's not a creator. Clarkson takes some bad shots, but he can still be a spark for us. For a minimum deal, he's a good signing.

Then there are questions about how last year's rookies will step up and how much they might provide off the bench, and how deep a rotation Coach Brown runs.

They also have room for another vet signing, so I like what they've done overall. Nothing earth shattering, but for the space they had, the moves they did look very good.

[Moose]

I know this is probably a troll post or something silly, but considering they got beat by the Pacers, I'd say there are at least a few teams who can knock off the Knicks (and vice versa)

Cavs are probably the best team, but I think it's going to be a fairly competitive conference/playoffs.

Why did you think it was a troll post? It was simple question. Two ECF teams made a lot of big moves, are you scared of either? And with Indy/Boston out if contention (barring something totally unfireseen) which teams would hero the Knixks or if the ECF?

I think you did answer that second question. Thanks

Most new posters don't start threads like this that come with homerism (no offense, but the Cavs won a lot of games last season and should be considered the favorites). Apologies. Welcome to the madness.

I think it's going to be a more competitive East than people think, but the West is better (OKC and the Rockets, for example - plus both of those teams have assets to improve during the season).

All barring health, but I think it will probably be the Cavs and Knicks at the top, but the Magic are going to be very good and can knock off either team in the playoffs. I think the Hawks will be very good as well if KP and the others are healthy.

You also have the rising Pistons.

Then we have the Bucks, likely with the best player in the East.

The Sixers, if healthy, have pieces to compete.

I think the Knicks should beat most of these teams, but the magic are a threat as are the cavs.

I think the Hawks could be scary in the playoffs and the Pistons will have another year of growth and gave the Knicks a hard time. I suppose we can call these upsets, but I wouldn't be THAT shocked if it went badly (as of today, things change, of course).

But maybe I'm just being cynical.

When it comes to matchups, less concerned about the Bucks, and others like the Sixers and Heat, but we'll see how it all shakes out.

[RHODEY]

Hello all,

I just joined and I've been a knicks fan since the 90s. Was very excited to finally see us go deep into the playoffs. The coaching thing was a bit of a head scratcher but I am glad Thibs is gone. Not sure about Brown though.

Now that Boston and are both toast for next season, who Stands in the way of the Knicks going to the finals?
Clev is good but beatable.

I think ATL and ORL have both upgraded a lot.

ATL has KP, Alexander=Walker and Kennard. Are they good enough to beat us? I have doubts about KP and Trae fit. KP didnt like playing with Luca. Not sure what to expect?
Orlando added Bane. I think they may even get to 47-50 wins

Thoughts??

I think this is a legit post, and welcome Nova. Nice name. Nova also means new and you're a new poster. Works on 2 fronts.

If you believe Vegas, Cleveland is ahead of NY in betting odds, but it's close. +750 to +800.

Vegas should be taken with a grain of salt because they reflect bets placed more than expert analysis.

https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba?tab=nba-finals

Orlando is a distant 3rd at +1600

The Hawks, a distant 4th +2900 and Phily 5th at +3300

Philly still has talent. They drafted a nice rookie last year who got hurt and missed the 2nd half. They have Embiid & Paul George, both banged up but talented, so Philly being the 5th team according to betting odds, might sound strange, but it's not as off as it sounds.

Detroit 6, Boston 7, Milwaukee 8, Indy 9, Miami 10, Craptors 11.

With the Bulls, Nets, Hornets & Wizards each at roughly 100 to 1, and I don't like those odds.

Milwaukee, if things work out with Myles Turner could be a pesky playoff opponant, but I think they're still a long shot.

Atlanta needs to mesh first. I don't think they're there yet and KP has serious playing time issues.

Orlando is fun, but lets see how they come together.

I think Vegas has it right. The Cavs kicked our buts last year. It wasn't even close when we played them, and I think they were injured when Indy beat them. They'd be my #1 choice for biggest opponent, right now. They lost Ty Jerome, but he was 10th on their roster in minutes and they might still be a 60 win team with a deep roster without him.

All of that said - any season is a crap shoot. You never know which team will have injury problems come playoffs and you never know which team will make a trade to improve their chances. Thomas Bryant was a cheap addition by Indi 2 months into the season last year, but he definitely helped them. Making predictions now is an exercise in futility, because it almost never ends up like people predict.

But to answer your question, Cleveland is probably the biggest threat. I wouldn't sleep on Detroit if they can keep improving. Orlando is a wait and see how they play together but they have a shot. . . . Milwaukee & Philly are what I'd call sleepers but I wouldn't be 100% shocked to see either of them step up and be a threat in the playoffs. I don't believe in Atlanta as much as some people do. The talent is there on paper, but wait and see what they can do.

Just my 2 cents.

If there was already a power rankings thread or something similar, then this thread would probably get closed, but I don't see one, so I don't see a reason not to talk about who looks like the biggest threat to us. Though, the fact is, this early, we're all just guessing.

Thanks for your well thought out reply. I think Cle is the top seed as well. I do feel we can handle them in the playoffs. I think Orlando and Detroit are the teams in scared of. But Detroit did nothing in the offseason.
I am not saying Philly isn't good, but those guys always get hurt.

I am also not very happy with our own off-season. I realize we had no really room to maneuver, and we did add scoring to the bench. But the disaster still feels like it lacks fit or coherence.

I guess we'll see - what can Brown do for us

Detroit lost Hardaway, Beasley (degenerate gambler) and Schroder -who killed us BTW. So why exactly are y'all so scared of Detroit?

[Jalen Bluntson]

I think this is a legit post, and welcome Nova. Nice name. Nova also means new and you're a new poster. Works on 2 fronts.

If you believe Vegas, Cleveland is ahead of NY in betting odds, but it's close. +750 to +800.

Vegas should be taken with a grain of salt because they reflect bets placed more than expert analysis.

https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba?tab=nba-finals

Orlando is a distant 3rd at +1600

The Hawks, a distant 4th +2900 and Phily 5th at +3300

Philly still has talent. They drafted a nice rookie last year who got hurt and missed the 2nd half. They have Embiid & Paul George, both banged up but talented, so Philly being the 5th team according to betting odds, might sound strange, but it's not as off as it sounds.

Detroit 6, Boston 7, Milwaukee 8, Indy 9, Miami 10, Craptors 11.

With the Bulls, Nets, Hornets & Wizards each at roughly 100 to 1, and I don't like those odds.

Milwaukee, if things work out with Myles Turner could be a pesky playoff opponant, but I think they're still a long shot.

Atlanta needs to mesh first. I don't think they're there yet and KP has serious playing time issues.

Orlando is fun, but lets see how they come together.

I think Vegas has it right. The Cavs kicked our buts last year. It wasn't even close when we played them, and I think they were injured when Indy beat them. They'd be my #1 choice for biggest opponent, right now. They lost Ty Jerome, but he was 10th on their roster in minutes and they might still be a 60 win team with a deep roster without him.

All of that said - any season is a crap shoot. You never know which team will have injury problems come playoffs and you never know which team will make a trade to improve their chances. Thomas Bryant was a cheap addition by Indi 2 months into the season last year, but he definitely helped them. Making predictions now is an exercise in futility, because it almost never ends up like people predict.

But to answer your question, Cleveland is probably the biggest threat. I wouldn't sleep on Detroit if they can keep improving. Orlando is a wait and see how they play together but they have a shot. . . . Milwaukee & Philly are what I'd call sleepers but I wouldn't be 100% shocked to see either of them step up and be a threat in the playoffs. I don't believe in Atlanta as much as some people do. The talent is there on paper, but wait and see what they can do.

Just my 2 cents.

If there was already a power rankings thread or something similar, then this thread would probably get closed, but I don't see one, so I don't see a reason not to talk about who looks like the biggest threat to us. Though, the fact is, this early, we're all just guessing.

Thanks for your well thought out reply. I think Cle is the top seed as well. I do feel we can handle them in the playoffs. I think Orlando and Detroit are the teams in scared of. But Detroit did nothing in the offseason.
I am not saying Philly isn't good, but those guys always get hurt.

I am also not very happy with our own off-season. I realize we had no really room to maneuver, and we did add scoring to the bench. But the disaster still feels like it lacks fit or coherence.

I guess we'll see - what can Brown do for us

Detroit lost Hardaway, Beasley (degenerate gambler) and Schroder -who killed us BTW. So why is exactly are y'all so scared of Detroit?

That thins them out but, they get Ivey and Stewart back right? It's kinda early for this discussion because there are a lot of moving pieces on the chess board. Teams are not done.

[nykballa2k4]

My first post on here I was greeted with STFU and GTFO by about 3000 people!!!!!!!

What's good?

Welcome to the board Nova.

The East has definitely changed almost over night. The injuries in the playoffs vaults a few teams to the top. As of right now, NYK is the healthiest of the survivors but, we just got a new HC so, how fast will they come together? That's our biggest question.

CLE will be limping to start the season. Haven't really paid attention to their off season though. I expect them to be pretty good though.
ATL shaking and moving has been interesting but, what will they look like on court? They made quite a few changes over there.
DET will be better and deeper. They will be a tough team.
ORL made some solid moves too. They will be tougher but, does Bane really solve all of their problems? Another tough team though.
BOS will drop a bit but, they are still a good team. Took quite a few hits though since the Tatum injury.
IND got slammed losing Halibitch and Turner. Still a well coached team. I don't know that they will drop off the charts.
MIL still has Giannis and added Turner. Too soon to tell with the rumors.
I haven't taken a deep dive into the rest of the teams yet. This list was just top of the head because it's still early in the summer.

I guess looking at this list...I think CLE/DET/ORL will be tougher than the rest. ATL being a ? but, I have not really invested much thought on this yet. Too soon to tell for me.

Now STFU AND GTFO AGAIN!!! BALLBOY!!

[RHODEY]

Thanks for your well thought out reply. I think Cle is the top seed as well. I do feel we can handle them in the playoffs. I think Orlando and Detroit are the teams in scared of. But Detroit did nothing in the offseason.
I am not saying Philly isn't good, but those guys always get hurt.

I am also not very happy with our own off-season. I realize we had no really room to maneuver, and we did add scoring to the bench. But the disaster still feels like it lacks fit or coherence.

I guess we'll see - what can Brown do for us

Detroit lost Hardaway, Beasley (degenerate gambler) and Schroder -who killed us BTW. So why is exactly are y'all so scared of Detroit?

That thins them out but, they get Ivey and Stewart back right? It's kinda early for this discussion because there are a lot of moving pieces on the chess board. Teams are not done.

Ivey and Stewart dont scare me. And who is their 2nd best player after Cade? If they don't make some kind move, Not only are we more talented them them, we are deeper.