On Tuesday, the New York Knicks sent shockwaves throughout the NBA landscape when it was announced that they would be trading for star guard/forward Mikal Bridges of the Brooklyn Nets. The move reunited Bridges with three of his teammates from his days with Villanova in college, and the Knicks now look like one of the deepest teams in the NBA, especially after they resigned forward OG Anunoby on Wednesday evening prior to the NBA Draft.
The moves were a clear decision on the Knicks' part to try their best to get on the level of the Boston Celtics, who just put together one of the most dominant playoff runs in NBA history and are bringing back virtually their entire roster to try to run it back next year.
Still, not everyone is so convinced that the Knicks have done enough to reach that rarified air, including, perhaps unsurprisingly, former Celtics NBA Finals MVP Paul Pierce, who recently took to FS1's Undisputed to relay his thoughts.
“They're gearing up to play against the Celtics, because that's what everybody does,” said Pierce, via UNDISPUTED on X, the social media platform formerly referred to as Twitter. “They brought in the defensive talent, but I just don't know if they're quite ready yet. I like what they're doing. I still think they're on the same level as Indiana, Philly, who knows what's going to happen in Miami, Miami as constructed with a healthy Jimmy Butler. Can't ever count them out. A healthy Milwaukee team with the Greek Freak who is still a top five MVP caliber player, along with Dame Lillard. So I've still got them in that tier, but it really solidifies them in the east as more likely a top four team, 100 percent. But as far as a super threat? Not sure they're there yet.”
Can the Knicks challenge Boston?
On paper, the Knicks would appear to be as well equipped as anyone to be able to challenge the Boston Celtics, whether in the East or in the NBA as a whole. Boston's strength lies in its seemingly never-ending rotation of players who are all elite on the defensive end and can shoot the three ball at a high level on offense, as well as being able to put the ball on the floor when needed.
The Knicks now have probably the second highest amount of those players, as Bridges and Anunoby both check those boxes, as well as Josh Hart, Julius Randle, and even Jalen Brunson to an extent when he is engaged defensively despite his small frame.
Perhaps the biggest question about the Knicks this year will be their health, as the team dealt with injuries throughout the regular season and the issue somehow got even worse during the postseason, as the New York team that took the floor for Game 7 vs the Indiana Pacers hardly resembled the one that was dominating the NBA landscape in January.
In any case, the Knicks' 2024-25 season is set to get underway at some point in October.
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