While the odds-makers may view the Celtics as the favorites to represent the East in the NBA Finals, and that clubs like the Cavs and Pistons are their biggest threat during the 2026 playoffs, it seems as if everyone's forgotten the fact that this New York Knicks team was literally constructed to take down Boston in a seven-game series.
Fortunately, Brian Windhorst is actively trying to remind the masses of this inarguable truth.
During a recent appearance on ESPN's First Take, the NBA insider boldly declared the Knicks the team the Celtics "have to contend with most seriously" this postseason due to the simple fact that the main objective when assembling this current core, specifically their wing depth, was to beat Boston.
"When the Knicks made their most crucial decisions about putting this roster together it was in the wake of the Celtics winning the championship. That is why they invested so heavily in Mikal Bridges, that is why they invested so heavily in OG Anunoby in terms of what they paid him. Those players were brought in specifically to deal with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown," Windhorst said.
Knicks have already given Celtics more trouble than other top East teams
The lack of widespread recognition for this very public fact is quite astonishing as the NBA Playoffs get set to come underway, especially when considering the Knicks have given Boston far more problems than any of the other top-billed teams in the association as of late.
Cleveland, who many see as having the second-best odds of coming out of the East this postseason, were swept in their three-game regular-season series against Boston this year.
Meanwhile, the top-seeded Pistons, who may have won their series 3-1 against the C's, came away with a total point differential of plus-10, 13 points lower than New York's plus-23 throughout their own 3-1 domination fest.
And let's not forget that this Knicks core has already proven capable of besting Boston in the playoffs, as they pulled away victorious in last year's semifinal bout 4-2, while setting themselves up for a 3-1 series lead even before Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles (New York was already up seven and has just pulled away with the ball with roughly three minutes remaining at the time of the injury).
Now, in year two as a collective, there's a case to be made that this team with virtually the same players has gotten even better here in 2025-26.
Add all of these undeniable truths together, and there's no reason to think that the Knicks should be viewed as anything less than Boston's biggest challenge heading into this year's postseason.
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