After losing in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, the Knicks quickly upgraded their roster by signing Guerschon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson. As they look to finally break through to the finals for the first time this century, The Ringer's Zach Lowe revealed who he believes the Knicks' greatest competition in the Eastern Conference to be: the Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, and Atlanta Hawks.
Lowe, speaking on the latest episode of The Zach Lowe Show podcast, broke the teams in the Eastern Conference into tiers, with the top tier being teams that could plausibly win the conference. The Knicks were joined by the Cavs, Magic, and Hawks in Lowe's top tier, in what many think will be a wide-open race in the East.
The Indiana Pacers, who beat the Knicks in the Conference Finals last year, will be without Tyrese Haliburton all year and lost Myles Turner to the Bucks. The Celtics traded away multiple starters, and Jayson Tatum is expected to miss the entire season with an injury. Then there are question marks, like the 76ers, who had an injury-riddled season last year.
Sizing up the competition
It isn't hard to see why Lowe has those teams as possibilities to come out of the East. Last season, the Cavaliers dominated the Eastern Conference. They did lose Ty Jerome in the offseason, who was a major force for them off the bench. Still, they will have a full season of De'Andre Hunter and made a big splash by trading for Lonzo Ball.
The Magic were one of the biggest winners of the offseason. First, they made a blockbuster trade to land Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies, someone who will greatly help the shooting problems they had last year. Then they signed Tyus Jones, finally giving them a true point guard who can run their offense.
The Hawks were another major winner of the offseason. They added Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who should help provide real defense next to Trae Young while also providing shooting, Kristaps Porzingis, who, when healthy, is one of the best rim protectors and floor-spacing big men in the league, and Luke Kennard, one of the best pure shooters in the entire league.
The Knicks got better, too
The Knicks made sure to address what was a major weak point for them last season, their bench, through the additions of Clarkson and Yabusele. While the East likely won't be as competitive as the Western Conference, there are still several teams that will give the Knicks a run for their money as they search for an elusive title.