How Worried Should Knicks Be About Celtics?

The New York Knicks are feeling themselves, and they have about every reason to.

They've answered some of the lingering questions about last season's once-thin rotation with a proven winner at head coach in Mike Brown, who's harnessed the organization's mixture of veteran scorers and ascending up-and-comers to dominate the Eastern Conference through the first third of the season.

They've won 21 games in 30 tries, and took home the NBA Cup while they're at it. The stats back up their dominance, too, measuring their net rating at 6.9, the fifth-highest mark in the league. That's better than all teams out east but one, which shouldn't be a surprise for the Knicks and their No. 2 seed.

What is surprising, however, is who they're behind. The Boston Celtics, still having yet to deploy the injured Jayson Tatum in what some assumed would be a rebuilding year, have the Knicks slightly beat with a 7.0 net rating to back their own 19-11 record. Even when they've been counted out, they still somehow stand as New York's greatest threat to matching or surpassing last season's high-water mark.

How Real are the Celtics?

The Knicks have already enjoyed an up-close glimpse at how their division rivals have countered Tatum's Achilles tendon tear, a devastating injury that contributed to the Celtics' loss to New York in the 2025 playoffs.

Boston Celtics Forward Jayson Tatum — May 12, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) is helped off the court by after an injury in the second half during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs as New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) gestures at Madison Square Garden. Tatum would leave the game with an injury after this play. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Many Boston fans expected a lost season when key starters and rotational pieces in Kristaps Porziņģis, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford and Luke Kornet looked to have gutted the 2024 champions of their depth, leaving Jaylen Brown and Derrick White to guide a slew of young role players through a middling campaign.

But the Celtics DNA proved tougher to exorcise than the Knicks may have anticipated. They still play the Knicks tough, getting the better of New York the first chance they got as the the host team, as they still reside in the league's top-three in 3-point attempts and makes in the NBA behind their bevy of shooters.

Even without Tatum, they've posted a slightly-better offense than New York's behind their love of productive drives and kicks. And despite losing one of the NBA's better defenders and rebounders, the defense is about in lockstep with the mostly-healthy Knicks, too.

New York Knicks Guard Josh Hart and the Boston Celtics — Dec 2, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) is helped by his teammates after drawing a foul against the New York Knicks during the second half at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

The Knicks haven't been dealt with the ideal hand, with certain once-promising rotational options failing to pan out while key wings' health seems to come and go, but that's nothing compared to Boston's task of having to trek on without their perennial MVP candidate and All-NBA First Teamer.

The Celtics aren't just on the Knicks' tail; according to these commonly-used metrics, they're already outperforming the contenders on one leg.

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