5. New York Knicks
Coming off a trip to the Eastern Conferene semifinals, there will be an added layer of expectations for the New York Knicks heading into this season. The question is whether they’ll be able to meet or even surpass those expectations. But in the deep East, that could prove to be difficult. Even penciling in some improvement for the Knicks, it’s hard to see them jump any higher than the fourth seed in the standings. In fact, I still predict they’ll be behind the Cavs in the regular season.
Looking back at last season, it’s easy to make the argument that Cleveland, at least on paper, was probably better than New York. The Knicks’ stars in the postseason rose above Cleveland’s when it mattered most. Quite frankly, I’m not sure the only addition of Donte DiVincenzo raises the Knicks’ ceiling all that much.
Could there be some internal development for the Knicks? Absolutely. Would that alone help the Knicks leapfrog the Cavs or even the Heat in the East hierarchy? I truly find that hard to believe heading into the season. Maybe that does end up being the case and they prove me wrong?