ESPN Makes Shocking Knicks Record Projection

New York Knicks fans might feel like there's some dark Magic afoot when viewing the 2025-26 win total projections from ESPN.

Projections from the Worldwide Leader, curated by numbers expert Kevin Pelton, has the Knicks winning just over 47 games during the 2025-26 season.

While that's certainly respectable — the Knicks haven't won at least 47 in four straight seasons since a six-year streak between 1991 and 1997 — it's a dip under the half-century tallies they've had in the last two years and places them third in the Eastern Conference behind the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic.

May 29, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) reacts after a three point shot against the Indiana Pacers in the first quarter during game five of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

In his analysis, Pelton believes that the Knicks' good luck on medical front — which has propelled them to the top of the standings of many prognosticators — isn't meant to last, which will drop them below their projected ESPN BET projection of 53.5

"The Knicks outperformed last season's 45.4-win projection by 5.5 games, benefiting from strong in-season health," Pelton delcared. "Among New York's starting five, only Jalen Brunson missed as many as nine games due to injury or illness. That might be difficult to replicate."

Pelton also isn't enthused by the prospect of smaller workloads for the Knicks' regular men, who could be on pace for relative vacations now that former head coach Tom Thibodeau has moved on. New boss Mike Brown has hinted that he will be more mindful of metropolitan workloads upon assuming the helm this season.

"I'm also counting on fewer minutes for the Knicks' top players with Mike Brown replacing Tom Thibodeau as coach, Pelton analyzed. "I'd expect New York to finish somewhere between these two marks, ending around 50 wins."

Finishing behind the Cavaliers perhaps isn't so shocking: even with the positive New York outlook, Cleveland retains a good bit of the 64-win that finished atop the East last year.

Injuries, however, ate away at their postseason potential, as they were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in the conference semifinals, the same Indianapolis group that would eventually end the Knicks' championship hopes in the following round. Cleveland also took all four regular season meetings from the Knicks, most of them earned in one-sided fashion.

But Knicks fans may take offense to falling behind the Magic: while a trendy dark horse pick, Orlando has yet to earn any major accomplishment in the Paolo Banchero era, though its sizable trade for the services of Desmond Bane has made their contending intentions quite clear.

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!