Nikola Jokic, Warriors and more

Finally, we go to the Eastern Conference and focus on two contending teams that should be contenders. At the time of writing, both the Knicks and 76ers are under .500. New York’s starting lineup – with Karl-Anthony Towns in the fold – has one of the worst defensive ratings in the NBA. Philadelphia, meanwhile, has yet to play a single game with all three stars available: Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey.

In more projection, I actually think the Knicks will be fine in the long run. I don’t share the same belief about the 76ers. Yes, you guessed it, it’s because of health.

One of the biggest reasons the Knicks struggle to stop teams is because they play Towns out of position in the middle. He’s shown in the past that he’s a good individual defender, but having him serve as your defensive anchor in the paint on a nightly basis is jarring. And when OG Anunoby plays power forward like the short man, you’re just asking for trouble. I have a feeling New York will settle down and start running once Mitchell Robinson returns so they can put Towns in his natural position.

I’m less optimistic about the 76ers because their gap is already so big. Even if they have the luck of playing in the East, starting 2-9 is terrible. Philadelphia will have to go on an extended winning streak just to fight back to .500. The likelihood of that happening seems minimal when you recognize that Embiid won’t play back-to-backs all year, George is older and has played in more than 56 games just once since 2018, and that Maxey likely has need the seriousness of Embiid on the floor to emerge as a star. Plus, while Philadelphia is more concerned about the playoffs now, the 76ers’ big three need time to develop and develop chemistry throughout the season. If all three guys aren’t going to be consistently healthy, it’s going to be a lot of stopping and starting every time they start to build a good rhythm.

The Knicks will be one of the last teams standing in the East. The 76ers must hope that they even manage to put the finish line in sight.