The 2024/25 NBA season is looming and the sovereign champions of the previous season, the Boston Celtics, are the favorites. Now, however, the Knicks have made a powerful exclamation point with the Towns coup. So will the title go to Manhattan for the third time in history in 2025?
The countdown is running! The preseason begins on Friday before the new NBA season opens on October 23rd.
A real benchmark awaits the reigning champions, the Boston Celtics, at the start of the preseason. Jayson Tatum and Co. will be a guest at the Denver Nuggets with superstar and MVP Nikola Jokic (Friday, October 4th live on Joyn and at ran.de).
Shortly before the start of the season, all fans and experts are naturally asking themselves one question: Who should threaten the Celtics in the fight for the NBA crown? After all, Boston not only won the title last season, but also virtually swept their opponents off the court in the playoffs.
After taking first place in the Eastern Conference, Tatum, Brown and Co. strolled into the final series with ease against the Miami Heat (4:1), Cleveland Cavaliers (4:1) and Indiana Pacers (4:0). There the Dallas Mavericks didn’t have the slightest chance and clearly failed 1:4 despite Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
The most important thing in brief
Boston Celtics: A champion without weaknesses
The Celtics have a well-rehearsed team that has constantly developed, can rely on clear processes and has been strengthened at certain points. Last season, alongside Tatum, Brown also made the leap to superstardom. With Derrick White, Al Hoford and Jrue Holiday, the duo formed a starting five that showed no weaknesses – and basically has no weak points. If Kristaps Porzingis is also in form, you can almost feel sorry for your opponents.
However, the Denver Nuggets are clearly one of the few franchises that can pose a threat to the Celtics. The 2023 champion has arguably the best player of the moment in Nikola Jokic and has some strong other options in Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr.
From the Nuggets’ perspective, Russell Westbrook’s personality is of course also exciting. Although the point guard is now more of an aging star, the interaction between him and Jokic could be interesting.
This content comes from external providers such as Facebook, Instagram or YouTube. Please enable personalized ads and content as well as providers outside of the CMP standard to display this content.Privacy settings
Towns coup: Knicks with a strong announcement
Perhaps the biggest coup of the summer was not caused by the Nuggets, but rather by the New York Knicks. This brings us to the franchise that may have the best chance of dethroning the Boston Celtics in the upcoming season. The team from the Big Apple was able to win perhaps the last missing piece of the mosaic to attack the title.
We’re talking about Karl-Anthony Towns. The 2.11 meter giant was traded from the Timberwolves to the Knicks in exchange for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. A real announcement in the fight for the NBA crown!
NBA: LeBron and Bronny James with special greeting – “Go out and do”
The 28-year-old power forward is something of an all-rounder who has always delivered in his nine-year NBA career. 22.9 points per game and an average of 10.8 rebounds underline this. Anthony Edwards was the Timberwolves’ top scorer last season, but Towns played incredibly efficiently alongside him. The Knicks newcomer made 50.4 percent field goals and made 41.6 percent three-pointers. Throughout his career, Towns hasn’t been that accurate from downtown.
This is exactly where Towns differs from Julius Randle, who, for all his qualities, wasn’t such a big factor from outside. In recent years his rate has fallen steadily and was only 31.1 percent in the previous season.
Best big man shooter? Here’s how Towns helps the Knicks
So around ten percent are missing from Towns, who considers himself the “best big man shooter in history”. The constant improvement of his three-pointers and his huge presence under the basket make him both unpredictable and valuable. The Knicks’ other masterminds should also benefit from both qualities. This is particularly true for point guard Jalen Brunson, who could now have even more space for his drives and his own attempts from downtown.
The same applies to Mikel Bridges, the Knicks’ first summer coup. The small forward moved to Manhattan from the Brooklyn Nets. Of course, it is also an advantage for Bridges and Brunson that the burden of the Towns coup is spread across even more shoulders. Towns, in turn, benefits from the fact that the duo can compensate for their own small ball-handling deficiencies.
The signs are right: Knicks can dethrone Celtics
But does that mean the Knicks are ready for the title? The answer can actually only be “yes”. The men from the “Big Apple” already played a great round last season and took second place in the regular season of the Eastern Conference. After a 4-2 win in the series against the 76ers and Joel Embiid, the surprising exit against the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 followed. However, the Knicks also had to do without the injured Julius Randle in the series, which is why there was too much of a burden on him Brunson’s shoulders remained lying. That’s exactly what should be different next season.
NBA: Kleber wants title with the Dallas Mavericks
The Knicks have stars who are all in their late 20s and are therefore in the prime age to crown their NBA careers with a title. Everyone on the team should be eager to lead the Knicks to their third title. Although Tom Thibodeau’s team probably needs a little more time to find itself than the Celtics, the head coach can definitely do that.
Ultimately, the point is that, unlike in recent years, the Knicks are at their peak in the hot phase of the playoffs. That’s exactly when it’s important for the New Yorkers to show that much more mentality and grit than the other title contenders. The Celtics, Nuggets, and Bucks have all been able to celebrate in recent years – now it’s the Knicks’ turn.
