Knicks Have 'Huge Gap' Towards Cavs, Celtics

The New York Knicks are a ways behind the teams they are trying to chase.

Feb 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Knicks guard Landry Shamet (44) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Craig Porter Jr. (9) during the second half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks are one of the best teams in the NBA, but there is still a wide margin between them and the top two squads in the Eastern Conference.

The Knicks showed how far behind they are from the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics in recent meetings, prompting ESPN insider Chris Herring to question what it will take for New York to make the leap towards the top two teams.

"It's not rocket science: New York needs to defend at a far higher level -- one befitting of a Tom Thibodeau-coached club -- to stand any chance against Cleveland or Boston in the playoffs. But for several reasons, that likely isn't a switch that can just be flipped at this point -- mainly because the starters have played longer minutes than any other team's, raising the question of whether they have a higher level left for the postseason," Herring writes.

"New York ranks 19th overall on defense but a dismal 29th (behind the Toronto Raptors) when defending top-10 offenses, per ESPN Research. No team has surrendered a higher 3-point mark than the Knicks; that presents a huge problem against the Celtics and Cavs, who boast the highest and fourth-highest attempt rates, respectively. Less drop coverage is one potential fix, and having center Mitchell Robinson back from his seasonlong absence obviously helps. But other changes figure to be necessary to close the huge gap we've seen all season between the Knicks and the two teams ahead of them."

The Knicks have the talent, but the way the team is built giving the stars more playing time than anyone in the league could be a detriment to the grand scheme of everything in the organization.

It will be worth it to run it back with Tom Thibodeau and this current group to see if a full offseason could change things, but if the Knicks come up short this year and next, a major shakeup could take place.

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