Does Knicks’ addition of Towns narrow the gap on Celtics in East? initially appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Add one other layer of intrigue to opening evening.
The wheeling-and-dealing New York Knicks, possibly already the Boston Celtics’ greatest menace within the Japanese Convention, made one more big-splash transfer Friday evening, reportedly acquiring big man Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Celtics host the Knicks of their season opener on October 22, the identical evening Boston will receive its 2023-24 championship rings and ship Banner 18 to the rafters.
The Knicks, who completed second within the East behind Boston final season, now have made three big-swing strikes previously eight months. The Cities addition comes on the heels of a deal to accumulate OG Anunoby final December, and a summer season splurge to land former All-Protection First Teamer Mikal Bridges.
New York misplaced huge man Isaiah Hartenstein in free company over the summer season and was bracing to start out the season with out rehabbing huge man Mitchell Robinson. The addition of Cities provides much-needed dimension and leaves the Knicks with a talent-filled beginning 5.
The Knicks did ship out Julius Randle, a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA participant, however the group thrived at occasions final season with out him and there have been questions on his long-term match. Cities, a four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA participant, gives further dimension and ability.
The larger loss for New York would possibly really be having to ship out taking pictures guard Donte DiVincenzo, who shot 40.1 % past the 3-point arc final season, a quantity that spiked to 42.5 % on 8.2 3-pointers per sport within the postseason.
The apparent query: Did the Knicks slender the hole with the Celtics based mostly on their slew of strikes?
The Knicks can now trot out a beginning 5 of Cities, Bridges, Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Jalen Brunson. Robinson will infuse wanted depth when he’s wholesome sufficient to return. With Bridges and Anunoby, the Knicks have the items to be an elite protection and masks among the deficiencies of the star tandem of Cities and Brunson.
The Celtics nonetheless have a bonus in depth. A minimum of to start out the season, they’ll take pleasure in continuity and chemistry. The Knicks should show this new-look group can thrive collectively, significantly when the match wasn’t all the time superb when Randle was there.
However it positive feels just like the Celtics and Knicks are the frontrunners within the East, although Philadelphia’s new-look core shall be intriguing, too. After their opening evening assembly, Boston and New York’s closing three matchups do not come till 2025. The Celtics go to Madison Sq. Backyard on February 8 and April 8, whereas the Knicks make their different Boston go to with a Sunday matinee on February 23.
Finally, the hole query hinges on how the items match collectively in New York. The Celtics discovered speedy success after their big-swing strikes so as to add Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Vacation final season. The Cities transfer feels a bit just like the Vacation acquisition, with the late, pre-camp timing to solidify an space of want.
The Celtics ought to really feel assured of their standing within the East, even when they’ll start the season with Porzingis sidelined. Boston’s depth has been an apparent differentiator and allowed it to resist absences, together with all of the video games that Porzingis missed final season. Boston is provided to resist absences in a means {that a} group like New York, on paper, just isn’t.
How does Cities match alongside Brunson and this new-look core in New York? Will everybody embrace much less touches and diminished counting stats the best way the Celtics’ stars did final season?
Opening evening simply received much more fascinating. And it is perhaps the primary actual step in answering how a lot the Knicks have narrowed the hole.
