Every year, ESPN releases a projected record forecast for each team (subscription required), and every year they underrate a contending team. This year, the New York Knicks appear to be that team, which is surprising given how well they made out this summer. The Knicks made a blockbuster deal just ahead of free agency to acquire Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets.
They also re-signed OG Anunoby after it seemed like he wanted more than they were willing to offer. They followed that up by making a sweetheart deal with Jalen Brunson, which will underpay their best player for the next three seasons.
They even found success in the draft, selecting a point guard 34th overall who could be a part of the rotation next season. In spite of that, ESPN's forecast only projects the Knicks to win 53 games next season, and while that is better than the 50 games they won last season, it seems to dramatically underrate their potential.
The New York Knicks appear ready to compete for a championship, despite ESPN's forcast.
New York's projected starting five, consisting of Brunson, Bridges, Anunoby, Julius Randall, and Mitchell Robinson, is among the best in the league. Equally as encouraging is the fact that their bench is stocked with good rotation players, including Deuce McBride, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo.
They could use a backup center but that is among the easier positions to fill. Coach Tom Thibodeau is known to play his starters big minutes but their depth on the perimeter should give them more options. It should also help them account for Anunoby's likely absences during the year, while Bridges has yet to miss a game in his six-year career.
Even if he does, Hart and DiVincenzo can step in. Their nine-man rotation doesn't have many holes and they may even be a top-5 team on both offense and defense after ranking seventh and 10th, respectively, last season.
Nevertheless, the Boston Celtics are probably still more talented on paper, though they have bigger question marks, such as the age of Al Horford and the health of Kristaps Porzingis. Age-related decline and another ill-timed injury to the Celtics front line and they could look far less invincible. Especially with the Knicks having two elite defensive wings to put on Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.
Those reasons suggest that the Knicks could be far closer to the Celtics' projected 61 wins than their projected 53 wins. And if the Knicks peak at the right time, it's far from impossible that they could rep the East in the NBA Finals in 2024-25.