Why the New York Knicks NBA Cup victory puts more pressure on Cleveland Cavaliers

Coming into the season, the New York Knicks joined the Cleveland Cavaliers as the team with the most pressure on them in the Eastern Conference this season.

Since the Boston Celtics were dealing with the loss of Jayson Tatum and the Indianapolis Pacers were dealing with the loss of Tyrese Haliburton due to Achilles tendon injuries, the road seemed clear for the Cavaliers and Knicks to meet again in the NBA postseason.

After the Knicks won the Emirates NBA Cup Championship on Tuesday evening, the pressure has intensified for the Cavaliers to turn their regular season around quickly.

It’s no secret that the Cavs have stumbled out of the gate. They are currently three games above .500, good for the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference. The New York Knicks are 18-7, the No. 2 seed in the East behind the scorching hot Detroit Pistons.

Although the Knicks will not be hanging an actual banner for their NBA Cup victory, they put the pressure on the Cavaliers to get their act together.

The Eastern Conference looks wide open. While the Pistons have shocked the NBA with their 21-5 record, Clevelanders have seen this from head coach J.B. Bickerstaff in the past. Detroit will need to prove themselves during the NBA Playoffs.

But the Knicks are a different story.

Similar to the Cavaliers, they’ve reached the postseason in each of Jalen Brunson’s seasons with the Knicks. However, they have failed to reach the NBA Finals. The additions of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges were supposed to put New York over the hump last season, but they also ran into a hot Pacers squad that bounced them in six games.

This season, New York looks ready for revenge. They are playing team basketball, overcoming the San Antonio Spurs who led for three quarters during the Cup final.

On the other hand, the Cavaliers look underwhelming, injured and way too reliant on superstar Donovan Mitchell.

During the offseason, the Cavaliers made moves required to play their best basketball in the postseason. President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman swapped Isaac Okoro for Lonzo Ball, a pass-first point guard that replaced Ty Jerome, who flamed out during the playoffs.

The Cavs also upgraded their frontcourt, adding Larry Nance Jr. and Thomas Bryant.

But those moves have not paid off quite yet for the Cavaliers. Maybe they will come postseason time. Additionally, the Cavs will be returning Sam Merrill who has only played 12 games due to a hand injury. Max Strus has also yet to make his season debut due to a fracture in his foot.

Injuries can’t be an excuse for the Cavaliers, though.

Because of their lack of postseason success during Mitchell’s first three seasons in Cleveland, all of the chips are on the table for this season to be a success.