The New York Knicks are currently the third seed in the Eastern Conference with a 41-24 record. Teams typically try and – well – win games to climb the standings and secure home-court advantage. But James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, acknowledging that the team shouldn't tank their playoff positioning on purpose, made the case that the best outcome could actually be winding up in fourth.
Edwards III argues Knicks grabbing 4th seed could serve them best
The scribe presented the argument that a scenario where Detroit, Boston, Cleveland, New York, and Toronto are the top five Eastern Conference teams in that exact order is best for the Knicks' chances of winning a championship.
The alignment would set New York up for a first-round matchup against the Raptors, who have lost 12 straight games to the Knicks. The last time Toronto beat them was in 2023, making it one of the most brutal streaks of its kind in the league. A series against them is likely to go the Knicks' way, which Edwards III said the team could accomplish "in four games. Maybe five."
Knicks could face a worrying foe in potential second-round series
If the team was able to come out on top of that series, the writer outlined that they'd likely be set to face the Detroit Pistons in the second round. While the Pistons have given the Knicks plenty of trouble this season, sweeping their three-game regular season series, they might be the lesser of two evils in this specific situation.
The other side of the Eastern Conference's playoff bracket would have the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, and whichever other teams end up making it – whether it's the red-hot group in Miami or the rising young core in Charlotte. If the Cavaliers have a strong-enough end to their season that they finish above the Knicks, it might not be the worst thing for New York's team.
Edwards III acknowledged that the Pistons would be a "scary" second-round matchup in part because of the pressure from team governorship to make another deep playoff run. But the scribe, who formerly covered the Pistons for The Athletic, also pointed out their lack of playoff experience as a weakness that the Knicks could exploit.
"The Pistons, with home-court advantage, in the second round is a scary team to stand in front of...However, if Detroit were to win its first-round series, that would be the farthest that its young group has been. ... The Pistons are going to be a force in the East for a long time, but it’s hard to prepare for deep playoff basketball without having the experience," Edwards III wrote.
There's still a good chunk of regular season basketball left to be played, but it's not too early to start looking ahead at the standings. Edwards III certainly made an interesting point by playing out a scenario where the Knicks finish fourth.