All Knicks

Knicks Get Boost in Power Rankings

The New York Knicks are moving up in this week's NBA power rankings.

Jeremy Brener

Dec 7, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) dribbles against Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley (5) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Dec 7, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) dribbles against Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley (5) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
In this story:

The New York Knicks are slowly beginning to piece things together after a subpar start.

With the Knicks moving up in the standings, they are also ascending in the NBA.com power rankings from John Schuhmann. After clocking in at No. 10 last week, the Knicks moved up two spots to No. 8.

"The Knicks got a big win over the Magic to reach the Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinals for the second straight season, but their second four-game winning streak of the season came to an end with a loss (without Karl-Anthony Towns) to the Pistons on Saturday," Schuhmann writes. "This year, the Knicks will be at home for the Cup quarterfinals (they lost in Milwaukee in 2023), having lost to the Hawks in Atlanta in early November. They allowed 121 points on just 99 possessions in that game, with the Hawks’ 27 second-chance points being eight more than the Knicks have allowed in any other game this season."

The only teams to rank higher than the Knicks in the power rankings are the Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Knicks could make some more noise with the NBA Cup this week, and a win against the Hawks will get them to Las Vegas after being one step away from getting there a year ago.

As long as New York's offense continues to play at the high level it has and the defensive intensity moves up a notch, the Knicks will have a chance to win a trophy in Vegas and move up in the power rankings.

The Knicks take the floor tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden to take on the Hawks. The winner of the game will head to Las Vegas for the semifinal on Saturday.

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Published
Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

Home/News