No team in the NBA was as active as the Knicks in the 2024 offseason. The addition of Mikal Bridges reunited several championship-winning Villanova college teammates, but it didn’t last long, as New York traded Donte DiVincenzo for Karl-Anthony Towns.
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The move propelled the Knicks into title contention conversations. But since they have fallen to 0-7 against top teams, and 4-time DeMarcus Cousins isn’t having it anymore.
New York’s recent 118-105 loss to the Celtics led the basketball world to discuss the Knicks’ status as a contender. By no means does Cousins believe the Knicks are a bad team. He just thinks they are average.
They are good enough to be the third seed in the Eastern Conference, and by a solid margin too. The only problem is they don’t have enough to take down the Cavaliers and the Celtics.
Cousins took to FanDuel TV’s Run It Back to share a complete transparent assessment of the Knicks. “We’ve been bamboozled,” he argued. “We sat here and allowed the Knicks to put together a championship college team, and try to run it back in the NBA.”
He is, of course, referring to the jokes that took over social media about the “Nova Knicks” when they acquired Mikal Bridges from the Nets. “When they initially did it, we thought it was a good idea. Now we look at it, and they look like an average team,” he continued.
The Knicks are one of the best when it comes to dominating teams. They are 26-6 against teams below .500. On the flip side, they are 11-14 against teams over .500. That doesn’t take away from the Knicks being a good regular season team, but that’s where Cousins draws the line.
He isn’t the first to announce disbelief in the Knicks. Legendary former player and NBA analyst Charles Barkley has gone on record to critique New York.
Barkley doesn’t view the Knicks as title contenders
Following the Knicks’ recent loss to the Celtics, Barkley didn’t hold back in his evaluation of the team. He still holds high regard for their roster but doesn’t feel they have the tools to win a championship this season.
“[The Knicks] ceiling is Eastern Conference Finals,” Barkley said, providing a damning assessment of what is the Knicks’ most talented roster in years. He made it clear that a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals isn’t an unsuccessful season for the Knicks.
They are still in the first season incorporating Towns alongside Jalen Brunson and have plenty of time to ascend to true title contention. But for now, the best the Knicks can hope for is a trip to the Conference Finals, because they are not championship material yet according to Barkley.
