Knicks Could Have Best Conference Record

The New York Knicks are going into the season with a lot of expectations to be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

The Knicks hope to be the No. 1 seed to have home court advantage throughout the playoffs, but that might not be plausible with the Cleveland Cavaliers on their tail. Bleacher Report writer Grant Hughes believes the Knicks will win 53 games, which is good enough to hold the second-best record in the East behind the Cavs.

"With so much talk about how one-note the New York Knicks' offense seemed last season, it's easy to forget it ranked fifth in the league. New head coach Mike Brown doesn't need to scrap the entire system; he just has to diversify it a bit, lighten the load on Jalen Brunson and build an attack that depends a little less on offensive rebounds," Hughes wrote.

"If he can get Karl-Anthony Towns to shoot more than 4.7 threes per game, a criminally low figure for one of the best floor-stretching bigs in history, all the better."

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns speaks to the media during a media day press conference. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Knicks are coming off a season in which they won 51 games, which trailed the Cavaliers and Boston Celtics for the best record in the East.

With the Celtics losing Jayson Tatum to injury and other key players like Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Al Horford in the offseason, the Knicks could jump them in the standings. In addition, the Knicks' depth is stronger, which helps them out tremendously.

"The Knicks are a bit deeper this season with Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele in the fold. If Mitchell Robinson stays healthy all year, there's also a good chance New York betters last season's No. 12 finish in defensive efficiency," Hughes wrote.

"In all, the Knicks are in line to increase their win total for the fourth straight season and might only fall short of 50 victories if they prioritize rest for their key starters. If they keep their foot on the gas all year, they could push the Cavs for No. 1 in the East and maybe even approach 60 victories."

The Knicks will have growing pains incorporating a new offense and some rotation players, but the goal should be well within sight.

If the Knicks can still go through these pains while winning, they should have a good chance to win 53 games and beyond.

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