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Feb 14, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Team Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) of the New York Knicks and center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) of the New York Knicks react during the shooting stars competition during the 2026 NBA All Star Saturday Night at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Insider Believes Knicks Will Finally Make NBA Finals

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Henry Brown | Last updated Feb 18, 2026 6:00 AM ET

Analyzing the New York Knicks' last 12 games may look like cherrypicking from arguably their most successful stretch of the season, but it would be fair to assume that this is the standard to expect out of the contenders through the remainder of the regular season.

Mike Brown spent the early goings of 2026 by continuing to learn how to best utilize the Knicks rotation at his fingertips, slowly substituting some of his less-productive veterans for more inspiring up-and-comers. When the defense was starting to become a problem, he replaced Guerschon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson with fresh blood in Mohamed Diawara and Jose Alvarado, and following New York's acquisition of Jeremy Sochan, it's safe to expect that more help could be on the way.

Suddenly, the Knicks, who looked dead following their NBA Cup victory, look back. They're just half a game back from the Boston Celtics for the No. 2 seed in the east thanks to that dozen-game sample of the league's top stopping efficiency, having completely re-inspired hope that they're arguably the most formidable force in their conference.

New York Knicks Guard Jose Alvarado Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

SNY's Ian Begley was certainly high on the organization's short-term outlook in filing five bold predictions for the remainder of the 2025-26 season, with only 27 games standing between the Knicks and another potentially-fruitful playoff run.

Even while the east's main players continue to quietly strengthen their respective championship bids, he remains confident that they can not only clinch a top-two seed, but eventually go on to represent the conference in the NBA Finals.

"There’s plenty of reasons to go with another team, but the Knicks still look poised to be the one that makes it out of this pack," Begley wrote. "They were two games short last year, have bolstered their depth to new levels, and have beaten all of these teams before. They should do it again."

Who Should the Knicks Remain Wary Of?

As Begley's sure to mention, the Detroit Pistons stand as the Knicks' most obvious obstacle in carving out a reputation as the conference's team to beat. They, too, aren't slowing down, having posted the best non-Knicks defense over their own last 12 outings, and own just 13 losses to New York's 20.

Boston Celtics Forward Jayson Tatum Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Their ability to avoid the Knicks' January schneid has likely put them out of New York's reach, but as Begley asserts, "the East’s pecking order underneath Detroit is entirely up for grabs."

That pits the Knicks against teams like the Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers as other local favorites to finish atop their half of the postseason bracket, but as those rivals continue settling in with new stars in James Harden and the soon-to-be-returning Jayson Tatum, they'll have more continuity concerns to monitor than the Knicks can offer.

They're all-in on this current version of the team, and need only to ensure that their newest role players integrate smoothly into functional depth pieces.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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