On Tuesday evening, the New York Knicks sent shockwaves throughout the NBA landscape by trading for Brooklyn Nets forward/guard Mikal Bridges in exchange for a package centered around Bojan Bogdanovic and five (!!!) first round draft picks. It was a hefty price to pay for Bridges, who has never made an All-Star team before, but it does net the Knicks a very versatile wing who can do multiple things and is good friends with several players on the current New York roster dating back to their college days at Villanova.
After the Bridges trade, the Knicks look like the clear cut number two team in the Eastern Conference behind the reigning champion Boston Celtics, but one person who isn't so convinced that New York is a serious threat to the men in green is none other than FS1 sports media personality Skip Bayless, who recently took to Undisputed to explain why he isn't moved by the Knicks' blockbuster deal.
“I'm a two,” said Bayless when asked about what threat level he views the Knicks to the Celtics now. “…As much as I enjoy watching the Knicks and rooting for the Knicks, and they've got great grit and vibe and spunk and hustle and loose ball urgency… I just don't love the tangibles enough. I don't love the supreme talent enough. You give me OG (Anunoby) on the wings, and they're two long, athletic, defensive-oriented wings. They've got some (Paul George) and Kawhi (Leonard) younger versions going…”
Bayless went on to explain that he believes the Knicks are too reliant on Jalen Brunson being their primary source of offense and has concerns that this will continue even after the move for Bridges.
Can the Knicks challenge the Celtics?
Right now, the Knicks' starting lineup would figure to consist of Brunson, Bridges, Anunoby, Julius Randle, and either Mitchell Robinson or Isaiah Hartenstein, who can leave in free agency. At least from a defensive perspective, this lineup would be as equipped as anyone around the league to be able to compete with Boston's plethora of offensive Swiss army knives and shot creators.
One could argue that at least in one through four, the Knicks match up pretty evenly with the Celtics in terms of their versatility and ability to shoot the ball. The Kristaps Porzingis vs Mitchell Robinson component of things likely tilts the scales in the Celtics' direction, but of course, Porzingis was out with injury for a large portion of Boston's recent championship run and health has always been a question mark for the big man.
Speaking of health, it's also a major concern for the Knicks, who saw essentially their entire roster go down with injuries during their playoff run this year. Anunoby has a bit of an injury history, as does Randle, but overall, there shouldn't be a ton of concern about that repeating itself in the future, considering that most of the players in the Knicks' starting lineup will still be in their 20's when the season gets underway.
In any case, the East just got a lot more interesting.
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