The New York Knicks are gearing up for perhaps their biggest season yet. After reaching the Eastern Conference Finals last season, many believe that the expectation for them should be an appearance in the NBA Finals.
Reggie Miller predicts a Finals appearance for the Knicks
One analyst is on board with those lofty expectations. NBA on NBC’s Reggie Miller predicted during a conference call that he expects New York to be in the Finals this season.
“I will say this, cause people always think that I hate on the Knicks, which I do not, I love the Knicks,” Miller said (h/t Mike Gavin of NBC New York). “If the Knicks cannot get out of the Eastern Conference this year, something is wrong!”
The expectations for the Knicks are much different this year than last. Very few had them defeating the reigning champions in the second round of the playoffs, and the fact that they did made many realize the potential the team has at full strength.
The Knicks are true title contenders this year
The team underwent some big changes this summer that could make them a true title contender. They made a major head coaching change by replacing Tom Thibodeau with Mike Brown, a change that could make their offense a much more cohesive unit.
Additionally, they added depth pieces such as Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele this summer to make the bench better. Given the talent they now have, there’s no reason to believe they can’t make a serious run at a championship.
They will have competition, as the West is very deep, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are the main competitor in the East. Despite that, New York is hungry for a bounce-back campaign after coming up short last year, and this year feels like their best opportunity to do so.