Knicks Three Biggest Rivals This Season

The New York Knicks have a few rivals to settle the score with.

Jeremy Brener | Sep 10, 2024

Apr 11, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) and Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) battle for a loose ball during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images / Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

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New York Knicks

The New York Knicks have a championship on their mind going into the upcoming season.

There are a number of teams that could steal their thunder, but three stand out above the rest.

Here are the Knicks' three biggest rivals for the 2024-25 campaign:

Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers are expected to boast a whole new nucleus with Paul George joining Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey to form one of the top trios in the NBA.

They are expected to have a higher ceiling than they did a year ago, which could put them right around where the Knicks are in the Eastern Conference standings.

The Knicks beat the Sixers in six games in the opening round of the playoffs, so Philadelphia is looking to get even while New York wants to prove that last year was not a fluke.

Indiana Pacers

Naturally, the Knicks want to get revenge on the team that eliminated them from the playoffs last year.

The Pacers won the series in seven games after the Knicks began to crumble at the seams with injuries all across the roster.

The Knicks know that they are a better team, and they definitely want to prove that to the Pacers. Meanwhile, Indiana is coming into the season with lower expectations than a team who reached the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago should have.

Boston Celtics

No surprise here. Boston and New York are fighting once again. However, there's more reasons as to why these two teams are going to be rivals in the upcoming season.

The Knicks are trying to chase the Celtics as the best team in the Eastern Conference. New York wants to be where Boston is and the team acquired Mikal Bridges over the offseason to help it get that much closer.

The Celtics are hoping to repeat as champions, but the Knicks should be looking to do everything in their power to prevent that from happening.

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Published Sep 10, 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.