New York Knicks: Stars Focused On Dethroning LeBron James

The New York Knicks have the roster to potentially make some noise in the Eastern Conference. To do that, they’ll have to go through LeBron James.

There’s no question that for the past six seasons, the Eastern Conference championship has had one common denominator: LeBron James. James won his third title last season, and extended his Finals appearances to six in a row.

The New York Knicks realize that if they want to make a real run at a title this season, they’ll have to dethrone the King.

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News spoke with Joakim Noah Wednesday about their mindset heading into 2016-17:

"“That’s definitely the goal,” Noah said. “It’s definitely not an easy task but that has to be the mindset. We all know what it is. Right now it goes through him. It goes through that guy. For us to get to where we want to get to, we have to beat that guy.”"

Noah has had his run-ins with James plenty of times. Whether it was when James was on Cleveland the first time around, or during his tenure with Miami, the two always seem to have words with each other throughout their meetings.

The Knicks haven’t had a player like Noah that brings intensity and a sense of confidence to a team. Carmelo Anthony believes it’s what they need to take that next step and become a feared team in the East:

"“He brings a different dynamic to the court,” Anthony said after Noah’s first practice with the Knicks. “Mentally, he pushes you; he forces you to compete at a high level every time on the basketball court. Everybody. Whether you’re the 14th, 15th man on the team, or myself, or [Rose] or anybody else.“Like, he pushes you to go out there and compete every play. If not, you’re going to hear about. I think that’s something we’ve been missing, this team needed, this organization needed and I like it. We like it.”"

This Knicks team will depend on health more than any team this upcoming season. Rose, Noah, and Anthony have all had their fair share of injuries and haven’t yet proven that they can be totally put behind them.

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But of course, that isn’t on their mind. What they are worried about is developing cohesion as quickly as possible so they can have a strong start to the season and send a statement to the rest of the league.

Rose was famously bashed by the Internet when he came out and said that the Knicks are a “super-team” along with the Golden State Warriors. While that statement is an inaccurate one, if they can maintain good health throughout the season, they could very well make their first postseason appearance since 2012-13.

There’s a realistic chance that the Knicks could draw the Cavaliers in the opening round of the playoffs. Just because guys like Noah and Rose are no longer in their prime doesn’t mean they wouldn’t be able to cause the Cavaliers problems.

Next: NBA Predictions: 2016-17 Win Projections For All 30 Teams

One thing is for certain — this New York Knicks are focused on their biggest obstacle and will continue to hold a high standard for this season.

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