07-23-2025, 02:44 PM
(07-21-2025, 09:09 AM)omahen Wrote: Since there is still not much going on, let me have a shout-out to our friends in the Eastern conference. Do they know, they are allowed to improve their teams? The only one that actually got seriously better is Orlando (at the cost of 4 FRP going West). Atlanta to an extent, although I am not sure if anyone can count on KP being healthy. Indy and Boston gor worse with injuries and Boston sold "half" their team. Milwaukee got worse with Lillard injury and moves they made are not making them better as they would be with Lillard.
Cleveland and NY are same, Philly is probably a lost cause due to injuries. Detroit is the same. All the rest are meh or will be openly tanking (BKN, Was). None of these meh teams made any kind of serious move to give them hope to be better than last season.
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The Knicks have to feel they were close to Indiana who drops back significantly with their star out so they have a team that was already close to making the NBA finals.
Probably factors into why they made the coaching change and the roster they had last season should get some growth within from key stars playing together another year. An EC team has to view winning the East, getting to finals as the main focus since they don't have to nor can they really project or match up with a West Champion until they get there.
For example I don't think Indiana was expected to be the East Winner but they were definitely dogs against the West Champion Thunder yet they were right there, maybe an injury away.
Knicks, Cavs, Pistons, Magic etc. have to be seeing themselves as capable of getting out of East to get a shot at the chip.
A few key updates in NY around the margins ...
Quote:Knicks signed Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele while hiring Mike Brown to replace Tom Thibodeau as their head coach.