NBA GMs Reveal Low Expectations for Knicks

If NBA.com’s annual survey of team general managers is any indications, the New York Knicks’ bulletin board will be packed once the 2024-25 season gets underway.

With the results unveiled on the Association’s official site on Tuesday, no GM questioned has the Knicks hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy come next summer. In fact, almost all have the Boston Celtics making a return trip out of the Eastern Conference with 97 percent of first-choice responses swinging Boston’s way. The outlier exclusvely belongs to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who took the remaining three points.

A disclaimer from NBA.com’s John Schuhmann does clarify that “percentages are based on the pool of respondents to that particular question, rather than all 30 GMs” and that those questioned were not allowed to vote for their own team.

To be fair to those questioned, the Knicks did take second-place in terms of percentage of total votes at 22 percent, calculated through an aggregate listing (“4 for 1st place vote, 3 for 2nd, 2 for 3rd, 1 for 4th”). New York was also second in runner-up votes at 43 percent, behind only the Philadelphia 76ers (50).

The most common NBA Finals matchup appears to be a showdown between Boston and the Oklahoma City Thunder, who garnered 80 percent of first-choice votes for Western champion. Many view the Celtics as repeat champions, as 83 perecent see a 19th title heading Beantown’s way. Oklahoma City and the Dallas Mavericks were the only other teams to receive championship votes.

Despite their exciting offseason and a strong effort last time around, the Knicks certainly have to prove their postseason mettle: the Knicks drought of championships dating back to 1973 is egregious enough but New York has been to the mere semifinal round since 2000, the third-longest active streak in the Association behind Washington and Charlotte.

While the GMs believe that the championship drought will extend to at least one more year, the Knicks do get some special props in other categories: at 13 percent, voters ranked the Knicks’ homecourt advantage at Madison Square Garden as the third-best in the league, tied with the Celtics for best in the Eastern Conference.

Twenty percent of respondents also said that the Knicks made the best moves this offseason, but the results ahead of them will hurt: that category was won by the Thunder, who brought in former metropolitan interior standout Isaiah Hartenste. The Philadelphia 76ers were the runner-up after making a series of moves, headlined by acquiring Paul George, indirectly triggered by their elimination at the hands of the Knicks in the opening round of last spring’s playoffs.

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