Knicks Named Biggest Threat to Celtics

The New York Knicks watched from the sidelines last month as the Boston Celtics snatched their record-setting 18th NBA championship.

Going into the 2024-25 season, the Celtics are considered the favorites to repeat in the Eastern Conference. But who is set to come in second place? The Ringer’s Danny Chau believes it could be the Knicks.

“The Knicks have not only raised their talent quotient immeasurably with the acquisition of Mikal Bridges but have also created an ecosystem that will allow Julius Randle, notably absent during the whole Knicksanity playoff run, to play the small-ball 5 role that was a significant reason for his breakout with the Pelicans in 2018-19. Losing Isaiah Hartenstein is a bummer, but I’m curious to see how much of an impact Randle’s third act—now under far less pressure and scrutiny—can make on this sweetheart Knicks squad,” Chau writes.

But Chau wasn’t alone in his theory. Fellow writer Zach Kram also agreed with him.

“New York went 20-3 with OG Anunoby in the lineup during the regular season and—while they lost Hartenstein—just added Bridges to the conference’s deepest rotation. Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo are top-100 players who will come off the bench next season. The 76ers and Bucks have more star power, but the Knicks have the best team outside Boston,” Kram writes.

The Knicks certainly have reason to be the team to beat in the East next to the Celtics. They were the No. 2 seed in the playoffs this year and they got better. Other answers to the question that came in the replies from other writers were the Philadelphia 76ers, who signed Paul George, and the Orlando Magic, who signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Both the Sixers and Magic were also first-round exits last year, so there’s an argument that the Knicks could be better than both of them as well.

As we saw this past season, success in the playoffs will come down to injuries. If the Knicks were even slightly healthier, they may have ended up in the Eastern Conference Finals with the Celtics. That being said, a healthy Knicks team could be very dangerous, and if they stay off the sidelines, they could give the Celtics a good run for their money.

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