Knicks Stars Unfazed By Massive Expectations

"Doesn't matter to me, so I don't know what it's like," the captain Brunson said in video from SNY. "You hear and see everything in this era of social media and TV and podcasts and everything ... It's just up to the person who's consuming that knowledge to either want to believe it or disregard it. I just disregard it. It doesn't mean s***. It doesn't mean anything. It's not for me to worry about [that chatter]. My worry's practice, my worry's film, my worry's getting better every single day. I don't have time time to think about what people say or think about us."

"I'm not thinking about that. All that is looking at a crystal ball, hoping things work out like the crystal ball says. We've got to get there," Towns added in another video from SNY. "We've got to take care of our job to even think about [the Finals]. Stay in the present, don't worry about all the chatter, all the noise outside, just worry about what's in the locker room, what we know we've got to accomplish, what we've got to do: get better every day and put ourselves in the best spot every day to win and hopefully make those odds right."

For all the success that this current decade has seen, the Knicks still have several dubious streaks hanging over them as they embark on the new campaign: while they reached the NBA's final four for the first time since 2000, they haven't been to the NBA Finals since 1999 and little more needs to be said about their championship drought, which recently reached five decades.

But with several fellow Eastern contenders reeling, ailing, or both, the Knicks have their most legitimate championship case in quite some time. In addition to the All-Stars Brunson and Towns, New York welcomes back recurring headliners like OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, and Mitchell Robinson, while potential-packed depth stars Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele were added to the fold over the offseason.

New York will get an instant opportunity to prove its contending mettle: in addition to the Cavs' visit, the Knicks face a recent playoff entrant in each of its first four games, also hosting Boston before embarking on trips to Miami and Milwaukee.