Apr 2, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) talks to New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) during the second half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Knicks Core Compared to Fellow Eastern Conference Contender

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Henry Brown | Last updated Sep 27, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The New York Knicks have spent the vast majority of their summer offseason focusing on their depth, and they received some appreciation for the core rotation that they've consolidated.

They're primed for another fruitful campaign of presumed regular season dominance and playoff glory, having only strengthened around the margins while solidifying their impressive starting unit and the potential it offers while Mike Brown sets the five-man lineup in stone.

ESPN certainly respects the caliber of player they've grown to consistently acquire, throwing them a half-dozen shoutouts in their top-100 player ranking. Returning starters Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges each earned nods within the top-50, while fringe-starters in Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson each made the cut before the century mark for the most recognized players from any single eastern squad.

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

ESPN's Tim Bontemps quickly gathered up some thoughts on the ranking from his fellow analysts, who seemed split 50-50 on whether they'd rather have the Knicks core or the Cleveland Cavaliers' key pieces, with four of their own similarly cracking the top-50 in Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen.

"Those who favored the Knicks pointed to the team's superior depth, while those who picked the Cavaliers opted for the team's concentration of more top-end talent," Bontemps wrote. "'They're more battle-tested,' one West scout said of the Knicks, who reached Game 7 of the conference finals last season."

Recent history certainly sides in New York's favor, with the Knicks taking the eventual Eastern Conference Finals representative Indiana Pacers to a Game 6 in succumbing in the third round of the playoffs. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, went down the Pacers in five lopsided games just one series prior despite entering the matchup with a considerably more impressive regular season record, winning 64 games to the Knicks' 51.

But while the Knicks are all-in on the present, looking to clinch another elite playoff seeding with their core of late-20-somethings, the Cavaliers have a much more enticing future. Mobley and Garland continue ascending as top prospects-turned-All-Stars, and as one East scout told Bontemps, "[The Cavs] are more athletic, they have better defensive potential and a higher ceiling."

No Cavalier cracked the top-10 like Brunson did, but Mitchell is just about as formidable as a player capable of putting a team on his back and gutting out bucket-driven wins. Mobley's defense currently stands as better than anything the Knicks can throw out there on that end, setting the stage for a battle between the only two among last season's conference contention pool who remain standing.

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

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