We saw the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks face off in the first round of the NBA playoffs last season. The latter came out on top in a 4-2 series.
The margins were much closer than that scoreline suggests. Over the last six games, only one point separated the 76ers and the Knicks.
Over the offseason, both teams have strengthened their rosters and are being considered as Championship contenders ahead of next season.
Between the two, it feels like the 76ers are the ones who have done more this summer. Of course, the signing of Paul George could, and should, prove to be a game-changer.
Other than that, they have made several other smart additions this offseason and improved the roster depth to be better equipped to face potential injury problems.
The 76ers and the Knicks could potentially be the biggest challengers for the Boston Celtics next season, as they look to defend their title.
Carmelo Anthony, a former Knick, has acknowledged that both teams have gotten better but does not believe that the Knicks will be worried about anybody other than the Celtics in the East.
Anthony said while talking to Rachel Nichols on the All The Smoke YouTube channel : "Philly got better, the Knicks got better. Boston, they’re going to be the same because we got to beat them. We ain’t worried about nobody else in the East. We’re worrying about Boston. That’s it."
Anthony sounds confident about the Knicks and for good reason. For a while, they had looked like contenders last season as well but ran out of steam towards the end.
Was it the Knicks peaking or just a sign of things to come? Time shall tell. They have added Mikal Bridges to the mix this summer.
On the other hand, the 76ers might have the best trio in the league in George, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. The combination looks fantastic on paper but it remains to be seen how it translates to the court. One would trust Nick Nurse to get things right.
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