NBA League Pass Rankings: Where Are New York Knicks?

The New York Knicks are entering the season as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, but how watchable are they?

Jeremy Brener | Oct 17, 2023

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New York Knicks

The New York Knicks are set to play 25 nationally televised games this season.

Among those games are the team's season opener on Oct. 25 against the Boston Celtics, the team's NBA In-Season Tournament opener (Nov. 3) and Christmas Day contest against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, and both meetings with Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, and the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 29 and Mar. 18. The latter will serve as New York newcomer Donte DiVincenzo's return to the Bay Area after spending his most recent season in San Francisco.

The remaining 57 Knicks games will be seen locally on MSG Network or on NBA League Pass, the Association's subscription-based service that allows fans to view out-of-market games.

ESPN's Zach Lowe engineered his annual "League Pass Rankings," which ranks every NBA team in terms of watchability, especially for those beyond their local markets. The Knicks clocked in 18th out of 30.

Pascal Siakam Jalen Brunson Raptors — New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson defended by Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam / Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

"It was a triumph of strategy and sneering brutality," Lowe said of the Knicks. "Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle are battering rams; head coach Tom Thibodeau played to that by doubling down on isolation basketball. It is astonishing watching Brunson, undersized and ground-bound, manipulate bigger players with pivot moves, fakes, and the occasional wind-sucking shoulder to the chest."

The Knicks may not have played the prettiest basketball in the NBA, but it was effective enough to win a playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers and stand among the Eastern Conference's final four teams.

New York is expected to play a very similar brand of basketball after essentially returning nearly the whole team from a year ago. The only exception is DiVincenzo, who is in town on a four-year deal and reuniting with college teammates Brunson, Josh Hart, and Ryan Arcidiacono.

The Knicks will conclude their preseason slate with a back-to-back, the first half of which tips off on Tuesday night in Boston (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).

Published Oct 17, 2023

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.