The New York Knicks are amidst a solid season. Well, that’s what most of us would say, given their 36-18 record that sees them as the third seed in the Eastern Conference. They did some impressive business over the off-season, which is already giving dividends. However, journalist Stephen A. Smith isn’t completely sold on the idea of the Knicks being championship contenders.
While speaking with the CNBC Television network, Smith revealed his thoughts on New York’s title dreams. “No. No. Because they don’t have they don’t have depth right now.” He said. Although he added that they have great players in Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson, they gave away too much draft capital to acquire Mikal Bridges, which wasn’t a wise decision, according to Smith. Furthermore, he highlighted what the Knicks lacked when compared to Cleveland or Boston.
The Cavaliers have young, athletic talent with size, perimeter shooters, and an incredible defense to top it all off. However, he did credit the from the Big Apple.
“They’ll be in the playoffs. They’ll be formidable. I believe they’ll get to the second round of the playoffs.” Smith suggested. However, he doesn’t see them beat the Cavaliers or the defending champs. “I don’t believe they beat either of them this year as presently constructed.” While Smith’s Fandom for the Knicks can be questioned, he does have a point.
New York lacks depth and hasn’t been that great defensively. Well, injuries to Mitchell Robinson and OG Anunoby certainly haven’t helped their cause. Robinson, who’s on a $60 million contract, hasn’t seen the court that much due to an ankle injury. His services are much needed for the Knicks to make a deep playoff run. At the same time, New York’s other defensive asset, Josh Hart, has something to share about his team’s championship beliefs.
Josh Hart gives his honest take on New York Knicks’ championship aspirations
While the New York Knicks haven’t been very sound defensively this season, Josh Hart has been a bright spot for the team. The 29-year-old has done great with Robinson and Anunoby missing several games throughout the season. Well, right now, he’s enjoying some off time before he and his team return to action after the All-Star week is concluded.
“As a basketball player, you never want to come out of the game.”
Josh Hart to @malika_andrews on the New York Knicks leading the NBA in minutes played this season pic.twitter.com/4XwEGhxxRH
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 13, 2025
While he’s enjoying the beaches of South Florida, ESPN’s Malika Andrews asked how the team feels about challenging for the championship. “You always want to have a belief, but we know that’s not good enough,” Hart stated. “We’ve got to go out there, and we’ve got to execute. We’ve got to get a lot better, I think. At 36 wins, we should have a couple more. We let a couple slip away. So we know we’ve got to continue to get better, continue to take it day-by-day, game-by-game, and see where we are at the end of the year.”
The shooting guard suggested that there’s “belief” within the team. Moreover, he noted that just believing won’t be enough it needs to be translated onto the court, which they have done so far. They are great offensively but rank 18th in the league’s defense rating, not worthy of a championship team. There’s still a lot to learn and improve for this Knicks’ side as they aim to win it all this season.
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