Knicks Fall In Power Rankings After NBA Cup Elimination

The New York Knicks dropped in the latest power rankings after suffering a brutal NBA Cup elimination.

Dec 11, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (25) drives to the basket against Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The expectations for the New York Knicks this season were as high as they've ever been in the last 30 years. The team has gone from the laughingstock of the NBA to what many thought was a legitimate title contender before the start of the 2024-25 season. Unfortunately, those championship expectations have not been represented well through the team's first 25 games.

The Knicks most recently suffered a 108-100 loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA Cup quarterfinals. New York gave up 22 offensive rebounds and 66 paint points, dropping to 15-10 on the season. The record doesn't scream 'panic mode,' but Knicks Nation, along with the rest of the league, has noticed that the team isn't what people thought at the moment.

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report dropped his latest NBA power rankings on Friday, less than two days after New York's NBA Cup elimination. The previous edition saw the Knicks crack the top five as they showed significant improvement on defense the week before to back up its No. 1-rated offense.

This week, however, New York took a slight dip, coming in at No. 7 in the NBA. The team ranks behind the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Cleveland Cavaliers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics. Funny enough, the Knicks have played four of the six teams ahead of them and have lost to all four.

Dropped two spots from the last edition, the Knicks now have a net rating of +6.5. The story of the team is the best offense in the league hindered by a struggling defense.

"It's that last part [the defensive struggles] that's maybe most surprising," Bailey wrote. "Tom Thibodeau's teams are typically pretty locked in on the defensive end of the floor, but the same hasn't been true of Karl-Anthony Towns.

"Prior to Rudy Gobert joining the Minnesota Timberwolves, that team was almost always below average in points allowed per 100 possessions when KAT was on the floor. And the ability to embrace the Towns-Gobert blueprint may still be a ways away. ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Mitchell Robinson may not be back till late January or early February."

The Knicks will now head out on a three-game road trip, going up against the Orlando Magic, Minnesota Timberwolves and New Orleans Pelicans.

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