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NBA Power Rankings: New York Knicks Top 10?

After their most successful season in a decade, expectations are starting to follow the New York Knicks.

Jeremy Brener

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The New York Knicks enter the season with higher expectations than they have had in a very long time. As one of the last eight teams alive on last year's NBA playoff bracket, that's to be expected. With most of last year's group due back, this Knicks team has a chance to be very good once again.

Considering their second-round exit in last year's playoffs, their placement at eighth in longtime NBA insider Marc Stein's first power rankings of the season seems appropriate.

"It is widely presumed that the Knicks will be at the front of the line for the next star-level player who surfaces on the trade market (Karl-Anthony Towns? Donovan Mitchell? Joel Embiid?) but the team they have in the meantime continues to look incredibly stable, solid, pick-your-preferred-adjective to convey sturdiness," Stein writes. "They went 37-22 last season once Coach Tom Thibodeau nailed down a nine-man rotation and have swapped out Obi Toppin for Donte DiVincenzo."

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson defended by Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson defended by Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant / USA Today Sports

The team that the Knicks could have is very different from the group currently on the roster. Many believe that the Knicks are incapable of winning a title with their current setup and that a blockbuster trade will be made to improve title odds.

However, there's no guarantee that such a trade is going to come. Even if it doesn't, the Knicks still have a chance to be one of the league's best teams. So until New York proves that it definitely can't win a championship with the current roster, the team is likely to remain the same. Despite the disappointing ending in Miami, the Knicks won 47 games and took a first-round playoff series victory, reaching those landmarks for the first time since 2013.

Defending champion Denver headlines Stein's list, while Milwaukee, Boston, Phoenix, and the Los Angeles Lakers respectively round out the top five.

The Knicks begin the 2023-24 season on Wednesday night against the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden (7 p.m. ET, ESPN). 

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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.

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