Analyst Questions Knicks Contender Status

The New York Knicks are coming into the NBA this season as one of the most talked about teams, and they are also expected to be among the best teams on the court.

The Knicks were one of just seven teams in the league to hit the 50-win mark, joining the Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks. And they got even better for the upcoming season.

Trading for Mikal Bridges signaled that the Knicks are seriously trying to win a championship, but Bleacher Report writer Andy Bailey wonders if they belong in that conversation.

“Playing in the East means the Celtics are in the Knicks’ way. The Sixers just loaded up by adding PG to Maxey and Embiid. Giannis and the Milwaukee Bucks, despite the age of much of the rotation, should still be in the mix. There are some young up-and-comers such as the Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers. Even the Cleveland Cavaliers can’t be ignored,” Bailey writes. “So, while the Knicks will provide plenty of topics to discuss over the next several months, we don’t know if them being real contenders will be one of them.”

There’s definitely potential for teams to rise in the East and challenge the Knicks for one of the top spots, but New York is rising along with them.

The Knicks have proven in the past that when this core is good, they can be some of the best in the East. When Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby shared the court last season, the Knicks were 14-3. Adding Bridges to the mix and supporting them with a deep bench gives the Knicks potential to be one of the best, but everything could change once we actually see New York on the floor.

If injuries persist or if the hype doesn’t match the product, the Knicks may not end up in that top-tier conversation.

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