Knicks Land Top 5 in Power Rankings

The New York Knicks have had a strong offseason after making some bold moves extending Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby while trading for Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets.

The moves have prompted Sportsnaut writer Jason Burgos to place the Knicks at No. 4 in his latest power rankings.

“The New York Knicks were one of the big surprises in the league this season. Not because they were good, many expected that, but after a pair of big trades before the deadline, they had a team that seemed primed for a trip to the Conference Finals. But the injuries changed those projections,” Burgos writes. “Nevertheless, they quickly improved their team by not only re-signing OG Anunoby but also by scoring Nets star Mikal Bridges in a blockbuster trade. While they lost Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency, they are now seen as a serious threat to the champion Celtics in the East.”

The only teams that rank higher than the Knicks are the Oklahoma City Thunder (who signed Hartenstein away from New York in free agency), the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics, who competed against one another in the NBA Finals back in June.

The expectations for the Knicks are certainly at a high we haven’t seen in over 20 years. They haven’t been to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2000, but these power rankings have them pinned against the Celtics for a spot in the championship if the playoff bracket shook out this way.

The Knicks will need to do a lot between now and May in order to get to that point, but the moves they have made and the potential that they have can definitely allow them to reach those new heights as a franchise that haven’t been seen in the Big Apple in a very long time.

Make sure you bookmark New York Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!