New York Knicks guard Josh Hart drives to the basket against Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Knicks Have Legitimate Finals Chance

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Aug 13, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The New York Knicks are going into the upcoming season with a real opportunity to be in the NBA Finals.

Bleacher Report writer Andy Bailey recently conducted a power rankings of all 30 teams and the Knicks were listed at No. 7.

"The New York Knicks were a solid (though unspectacular) plus-4.1 points per 100 possessions when their top five of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns were all on the floor, but former coach Tom Thibodeau almost ran that group into the ground," Bailey wrote.

"The 940 minutes they played as a unit in 2024-25 was more than 200 clear of second place and over 400 clear of third."

"This offseason, they hired a coach who'll presumably spare their legs a bit more (Mike Brown), while also picking up a pair of solid veterans for the bench in Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele."

"With injuries taking the Celtics and Pacers out of the picture, the Knicks have a very real opportunity to potentially represent the East in the 2026 Finals."

Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard drives to the hoop past New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The only teams that were ahead of the Knicks in the rankings were the Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets and defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

Fortunately for the Knicks, they are entering the season in which the Eastern Conference is inferior to the west. In Bailey's ranking, only five of the top 15 teams hailed from the East. This opens the door for the Knicks to be one of the top teams in the conference.

The main foe for the Knicks going into the season is the Cavaliers, who they will host for the first game of the season on Oct. 22 and Christmas Day at Madison Square Garden.

Last season, the Knicks fell short against the Cavs in all four meetings, showing a sign that they were the little brother in the East. However, it's a new year and the Knicks are hoping to prove that they have grown over the course of the offseason.

The Knicks will begin fostering that growth when training camp begins next month.

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

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