Ahead of 2025-26, All-Star Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks have set the bar of expectations to the highest they've seen in recent history. ESPN's Kendrick Perkins called the Knicks the Eastern Conference's best, and he's most likely not the only one. Perhaps only the Cleveland Cavaliers can say they have similar expectations before the upcoming season, as most would agree the Knicks and Cavs are the favorites to win the East.
The Knicks have shown significant growth as one of the Eastern Conference's best teams over the years, Brunson said, in an exclusive interview with Games Hub on behalf of his partnership with BodyArmor.
“I think we’ve been taking steady steps every year,” Brunson said. “The best part about our team is the chemistry we’ve grown and we’ve created. A lot of people help us on this journey, and to be able to be where we are now, it’s nothing to be satisfied about. Hopefully, we don’t have that mindset going into the season where we think we’re just going to jump back into the Eastern Conference Finals.
“We need to be able to go through this process again and continue to get better and the fight to get over that hump.”
The Knicks' trade for Karl-Anthony Towns ahead of last season made a difference. Still, for the Knicks' Jalen Brunson, it's going to take a team effort for them to return to the Eastern Conference Finals and beyond.
“It’s going to take all of us,” Brunson added. “It’s not going to take just one change or another small thing. It’ll take all of us together to kind of put everything aside and pull together.”
Kendrick Perkins says Knicks are the best team in the East
While one 2008 Celtics champion turned analyst in Paul Pierce, says the Celtics choked against the Knicks, refusing to give the Knicks their flowers, another in Kendrick Perkins, is calling them the best ahead of a critical 2025-26 campaign.
Despite the Cavs' dominating regular season last year, Perkins gives the Knicks the edge over the Cavs ahead of the upcoming season, he said, per ESPN's NBA Today.
“They are, to me, they're the best team in the Eastern Conference,” Perkins said. “We know that the Celtics they are somewhat in the rebuild mode, okay? The Cavs, I don't trust them. I trust big body Brunson as the leader of that ball club, and they address the issues that they needed to address. You go and you get some bench players that's going to come in and play their role while still keeping your entire core together.”
"They're the best team in the Eastern Conference."@KendrickPerkins believes the Knicks are the best team in the Eastern Conference 👀 pic.twitter.com/5SXhAedaCw
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 12, 2025
It's an exciting time to be a Knicks fan.
