Former Rival Makes Bold Knicks Prediction

In Perk, the New York Knicks trust.

When a good number of national pundits doubted the Knicks’ rise to power last season, Boston Celtics champion-turned-ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins firmly planted himself on the Manhattan side. Perkins seems more than willing to reprise his role as the Knicks’ de facto Bristol attorney this season, as metropolitan glory was at the center of his bold prediction for the upcoming campaign.

“My bold take is that the New York Knicks are going to have the best record not just in the Eastern Conference but in the entire NBA in the regular season,” Perkins said on Thursday’s edition of “NBA Today.” “When you think about what (Jalen) Brunson did last year, best player in the Eastern Conference, he’s going to come back on a different mission.”

Count Perkins among those who believe that history could repeat itself now that four Villanova Wildcats are in tow: New York traded for former Brooklyn Nets star Mikal Bridges over the offseason, reuniting him with fellow Main Line alumni Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, and Josh Hart. All four were part of Villanova’s march to the men’s national title in 2016.

Perkins was sure not to forget the returning services of Julius Randle, who missed the final four months of last season with a shoulder injury.

“Acquiring Mikal Bridges, those boys with Hart and Donte, they’re going to be ready to play,” Perkins said. “Also Julius Randle, he’s going to come back with it on his mind. I think he’s going to embrace his role. I think they’ve got a different type of energy, a different type of family-type vibe there and they’re going to be excited to play night in and night out.”

Knicks fans certainly hope that Perkins’ prophecy comes to fruition: their team has not had the NBA’s best record since the 1969-70 campaign, but that season did produce the first of two championships. Last season, Perkins’ original NBA employers from Beantown broke a streak of futility among top regular seasons finishers, as they became the first top seed to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy since the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors.

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