Knicks Trade Boosts Power Ranking

The New York Knicks have a higher ceiling going into the season.

Jeremy Brener | Oct 2, 2024

Nov 20, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) looks to pass the ball over New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

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New York Knicks

The New York Knicks have a lot of eyes on them after officially completing the Karl-Anthony Towns trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves, which sent Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minneapolis.

With the trade complete, the Knicks' ceiling has gone up, and people think they could emerge as one of the best teams in the league.

CBS Sports writer Colin Ward-Henninger has the Knicks landing at No. 3 in his latest power rankings, three spots higher than the previous edition.

"Fun little upstart team on the rise? That's cute and all, but the Knicks said, "screw that" by acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges this offseason to complete one of the most fearsome starting fives in the league. The breeze flowing through the Knicks' championship window went from a faint whistle to an all-out windstorm, as they're now poised to seriously contend for years to come behind unflappable leader Jalen Brunson. There are depth questions, to be sure, but a top end like theirs should result in a lot of regular-season wins," Ward-Henninger writes.

The only teams ranking higher than the Knicks were the Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics, who both finished with the best record in their respective conferences last season.

The Celtics and Thunder are running it back, with the exception of Oklahoma City acquiring former Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency. Either way, each team doesn't have to figure too much out in terms of how to play with one another. Hartenstein doesn't change the Thunder's setup too much, while the Celtics remain as-is.

That isn't the case for the Knicks, who will have to figure things out quickly with Towns and Bridges as new, key parts to the team. It could present challenges for the Knicks, but if they can get over those growing pains quickly, things could be looking up for New York.

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

Published Oct 2, 2024

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.