If the New York Knicks are considered championship contenders this season, it will be because of their depth, not their elite talent.
A new ranking of the top 100 players from CBS Sports makes that clear.
While the Knicks are tied for league-high with six players in the top 100, there is a gulf between their best player (Jalen Brunson) and their second-best player (Mikal Bridges), according to CBS’s rankings.
Brunson comes in at No. 13 on the list, a 14-point jump from where he was before last season.
And then there is a wide gap.
The Knicks’ second highest-ranked player is Bridges at No. 41. CBS also ranked OG Anunoby at 46, and Julius Randle at 54. Josh Hart was ranked 77th and Donte DiVincenzo came in at 81.
That gives the Knicks just one player in the top 40, a far cry from the other Eastern Conference contenders.
Here’s where they stand:
Bridges’ ranking is a considerable drop from last season, when he was ranked 29th following a season in which he averaged 26 points per game in 27 games as the Brooklyn Nets’ No. 1 option. An inefficient year with the lowly Nets last year dropped his ranking. The upside for Bridges is that he will play a new role with the Knicks that seems well-suited for him.
Randle’s ranking is also very low for a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA player, though it’s understandable: Randle missed the second half of last season, including the Knicks’ entire playoff run, with a shoulder injury. Randle doesn’t have a strong postseason record and is facing questions about how he’ll fit a revamped Knicks roster.
It’s only one arbitrary ranking, but it shows differently these Knicks are built compared to other top NBA teams.
More Knick news:
The Knicks have quietly fixed one of last season’s weaknesses
Knicks’ Tom Thibodeau makes a huge admission about a key tactical change
Knicks legend explains why he was in awe watching Josh Hart last season
