NBA Power Rankings: Will Jalen Brunson, KAT & Knicks TAKE DOWN Celtics? | Hoops Tonight

[@chrisstfort7]

Stellar work Jason. Let’s go Knicks!!! 🟠🔵

[@samhorn3740]

Mailbag question: As a Knicks fan I’m really glad we made this move. I think we have enough defensive talent down the roster to help KAT on that end of the floor. In your breakdown of the Knicks you mention having KAT come up to the level and be aggressive on the ball and use his hands. I think this is a great idea, but with KAT’s tendency to foul often, and sometimes weird fouls away from the rim, do you think this will protect him from getting in foul trouble or would this lead to even more head-scratching fouls? Love the show, been watching consistently for three years, your the best in the biz bruv

[@TAyLoRmillsthompson]

Good point bout the fouls

[@TonyCroweKnicksNBruises]

Just asked the same thing lol

[@cashoutAbu]

You forgot to mention that Boston could throw jrue holiday on kat 💯💯

[@kgmv4798]

UNBELIEVABLY GOOD!!! BY FAR THE BEST BASKETBALL BREAKDOWN OF ANY KZbin CHANNEL IVE EVER WATCHED EVEN BETTER THAN ALMOST ANY NBA ANALYST IVE EVER SEEN INCLUDING THE HIGHLY PAID & PRODUCED CABLE SHOWS YOU MORE THAN EARNED MY SUB AFTER JUST ONE VIDEO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@isaac.farrell]

I like the video but I feel like it's disingenuous to describe Mikal Bridges as a "25 point scorer." He only did that for the 27 game period after he was traded from the Suns but averaged 20.1ppg for that season as a whole and immediately fell back to earth the next season, scoring 19.6 on much worse efficiency last year. He's never come close to that number in any other stretch of season either.

[@AndyCruz-c6h]

Yeah mikal is more like around 20ppg

[@karsonrivers9880]

I agree, he hasn’t been in that role the majority of his career though he’s been a role player. I think if he had to play that role and got used to it he could average 25.

[@wannabegolfin24-72]

This is also as the no.1 option. He's going to be the no.3 option at best. He'd be doing to average 14ppg. Derrick white on the celtics is better as the no.4 option

[@thabomahlangu8041]

​@@wannabegolfin24-72Derick white is better than Bridges? Which season? What does White do better than Bridges?

[@marksimmons5839]

Jealous Celtics fan

[@mzwandilencube7800]

I’m a distraught Lakers fan but I think that people tend to downplay the Nuggets. Jason has always explained how matchups can have an effect on your playoff run. Nuggets could’ve easily been back in the finals if they didn’t run into the Wolves who were equipped to deal with them. Not making excuses or anything but matchups really play a role in a teams success and that is all based on luck of the draw

[@uwannasee_greatness]

Could've, would've, should've. The truth of the matter is no team has gone to the finals in back-to-back seasons since peak warriors. No defending champ has even made it passed the second round. The only team that has the potential to do it (and literally it's because the playoffs hasn't started) is the Celtics who have the most talented team since that Warrior's team. These hypotheticals need to stop.

[@willlydon1863]

@@uwannasee_greatnessfire comment lol I never even knew that 2nd round stat. Thanks for that

[@mzwandilencube7800]

@@uwannasee_greatness I get your point but we can only work with hypotheticals when the season is yet to begin. The only known fact is that the Celtics are the team to beat. The rest of the league is up in the air therefore we have these discussions as to who ‘should, could, would’ be capable of winning

[@angelsaint-hilaire4372]

The Mavs made it to the Finals by beating the #5, #1 and #3 teams in the West. They did that with an injured Luka, a 19 year old rookie center and a team that had not been together for more than half the season. I see a lot of projecting with OKC and not affording the same with the Mavs who beat both OKC and Wolves.

[@victorvic4659]

By your logic i can say Dallas could have beat Okc in 5 if Shai didn't have all time 4th qtr in game 4(when you described Okc were free throws away from game 7) And Luka was taking injections after every Finals game,so he was clearly not himself(when you described why Denver lost)

[@wolfiejr.5992]

he said that cuz okc got a lot better now. That with experience it is not the same okc team

[@CharifRocka]

​@@wolfiejr.5992 You don't know that. 😂

[@ericdobric9976]

@@CharifRocka if you watch ball at all, you know that OKC got better this offseason. They didn’t get worse by keeping all of their great young players and adding Caruso and Hartenstein to the mix

[@ghettogov6161]

I feel like OKC is ranked way too high when they have so many relatively unproven commodities. I feel like they are one smart move away but would give them less than 5 percent chance of winning it all.

[@karsonrivers9880]

Agreed, he’s going off of hypothetical potential for them and raising them for that when specifically has said not do that with other teams and lowered them because of that. I don’t mind either logic just keep it consistent.

[@Hydrologist]

Bruh okc is legit. That’s it and that’s all. At a certain point in the league if you assume teams are healthy the talent is just too high. SGA, Chet, Jalen Williams, Caruso, AND hartenstein?! Bruhhhh

[@Joe_Ma99]

They are very talented but having them as heavy favorites to make the finals seems premature since they are young and unproven.

[@bennparker2259]

@@Joe_Ma99it’s not even to make the finals it’s to win

[@karsonrivers9880]

@@Joe_Ma99 yep,my thoughts exactly. They could prove us wrong and I’m all for it but right now it isn’t really based on anything.

[@Kitu74]

These things don't happen overnight...first thing chemistry...they have to loose together..to learn how to win together..and most importantly..they have to be healthy...then you can talk about taking the Celtics out..

[@Liz_A.5280]

Wow you are one of the best for the geeks who obsess about nba overall

[@johntorres5153]

Haven't addressed the fact kat has no heart, we shall revisit later this year

[@mr.blipper5014]

Mailbag question: do you factor in the conference a team plays in for their playoff chances? For instance, the Knicks may not be as good as OKC on paper, but OKC will have to play against much better teams to even make the finals, and then after that they still will probably have to go through Boston, whereas the Knicks (I believe) really have to worry about beating one team to get to the finals

[@michaelmo1977]

Lively and Gafford held Jokic to 16 points the last time they played. Jokic himself said Mavericks got bigger. Dallas is extremely deep this season

[@mrd1wan321]

Daniel Gafford is Jokic's second easiest matchup after Valanciunas. We'll see how Lively matches up with him now that he has some NBA experience. I wouldn't rely on "Daniel Gafford" in a Jokic matchup LOL

[@jordanklitzke8381]

Hi Jason, love the show. Ant has talked since the beginning of camp about how motivated he is to work off the ball in a Steph-like fashion. His usage rate has been increasing steadily over the past three seasons, rising from 26.4% to 29.9% to 32.2%. Do you think the T-wolves offense could actually improve with that number staying steady or dropping now that Randle is on the team? I know there's a lot of talk of staggering the Randle/Ant minutes, but I see them playing a lot together when you break down the likely rotations and the Rudy/Mike combo Finch doesn't want to lose. Thanks.

[@PatriotsAndTruth]

As a Knicks fan,I endorse this message.

[@orionzervakos]

There's something odd going on. Not that I don't trust that you're being genuine with your takes, but I think there's some internal bias that affects how charitable you are with some teams vs others. And I'm definitely susceptible to that as a Mavs fan so I get it. To wit: it feels like you're making a lot of assumptions about the Knicks that, if accurate, would make them a better team than the Mavs. I get that that's the job during the off-season but I'd love to see consistency with those assumptions. You assume the Knicks will maximize their offensive and defensive potential and be elite on both ends, but you also very specifically didn't assume the Mavs would maximize their potential. In fact you stated all the things you thought the Mavs would have to do to improve on offense and then said "I don't think they'll do that." The Mavs were elite offensively and had a top 5 defense after the trade deadline last season. They won at a 56 win pace. Naji Marshall is better than DJJ who only averaged 20 mpg in the regular season. Grimes is better than Green. Klay is ridiculously better than Tim Hardaway on both ends of the floor. There's no reason to assume that Kidd wouldn't manage the defensive liability, which I think is being overblown anyway. Denver is flat out not more talented than the Mavs. You said Jokic is better than Luka, and fair enough he's got the hardware. I think Lively can bother him more than you believe he can and if they put Gordon on Lively and swap screens with Luka, Lively will eat their lunch. Kyrie is better than Jamal Murray. Aaron Gordon is probably better than PJ, and Michael Porter Jr might be better than Klay. But who else do the Nuggets have? They're crossing their fingers and hoping to replace KCP with Christian Braun and they're praying Westbrook doesn't drag them down as he has every team since the Rockets. The Nuggets might be better from 1-4 but the Mavs are better from 2-8. That depth is what will set them apart not just from Denver but from everyone outside Massachusetts.

[@wolfiejr.5992]

never seen someone so mad for someone putting their team top five

[@orionzervakos]

@wolfiejr.5992 who's mad? I just think it's incorrect. No doubt if he had put any of the Knicks, Nugs, Thunder, or Celtics at 5 there would be some fan of those teams leaving an overly verbose comment too.

[@doh0702]

Are you new? Knicks for clicks. Its been a constant for near two decades in the NBA. This mans got you on emotional engagement.

[@cole9654]

Make a playlist of the 2024 rankings

[@mrimpala11]

Never seen such disrespect towards a finals team that the Mavs get.

[@KingOfTheDungle]

Yeah, its good being the under dog though, as a fan and for the players. We just sit back and watch.

[@alexandermcdaniel8404]

I think talent wise the knicks belong here but I could see an argument for them being lower since everything is theoretical right now. Like, you can see them being top 5 in both offense and defense, you can also see them struggling with chemistry for the season and being more around top 10 in each which isn’t good enough to win a championship.

[@HR-bj4vp]

Mailbag: Having Denver over Dallas since they are a tougher matchup for Boston makes sense with how you’ve done this list so far, even if I personally disagree that Denver is a better team heading into this year. Just curious: how would you see a series between Denver and Dallas go down in a potential Western Conference semifinal or final? Love the content and breakdowns, can’t wait for the season to get started.

[@Elias_Soto]

27:11 “when you are smaller you have to compensate with obsessive effort” 😅😅😅

[@TonyCroweKnicksNBruises]

My only concern with Kat disrupting the ball handler is him picking him silly fouls away from the rim. (He gets in foul trouble ) Much rather him try to use his size as I last line of defense. One thing the Knicks have thier bigs work on is jumping vertical and avoiding contact. What do you 🤔 about that.

[@lokkedpiano5261]

Viewers always misunderstand Jason's simple dialogue. This list is not necessarily about who is better but who can be flexible against 4 playoff matchups. In other words, Jason's list discusses the order of the highest probability teams to win the NBA championship

[@SDesWriter]

Yeah, like if a team was to play three 50 win teams in the playoffs and beat them easily to get to the finals and then in the off-season improve at four positions, that would be an example of a team that’s pretty flexible against a number of different looks and personnel. So of course you would rank them fifth and all the teams that lost you and rank ahead of them. Duh….

[@ljutko7]

🤣🤦🥲​@@SDesWriter

[@reecewilliams8349]

​@@SDesWriter🧡 my dude

[@Sled27don]

@@SDesWriter😂

[@karsonrivers9880]

Thunder run into Dallas they lose again. That’s the definition of matchup dependent.

[@coopercollins5076]

but they wouldn’t? and he clearly states why he thinks okc would beat dallas this year given there additions. sure thunder are matchup dependant to you but this isn’t your video and you’re also just wrong lol

[@glorious644]

​@@coopercollins5076 He stated why Minnesota would beat Dallas last year and it never happened. He got the entire Western conference playoffs wrong last year.

[@mrimpala11]

Many ppl thought they would beat the Mavs last yr

[@karsonrivers9880]

@@coopercollins5076 yeah he states why but it’s wrong. Dallas got better also and Luka was very hurt all playoffs. Also matchup dependent was literally his definition of why a team couldn’t be in the top tier. By his definition they aren’t ranked in the right place. The thunder got a good defensive guard but is only a small upgrade over what they had and hartenstein is one of the better bench bigs that’s not game changing though. People act like the thunder got insanely better they got maybe 10% better.

[@karsonrivers9880]

Regardless of my opinion, they’re matchup dependent and that is his definition for the second tier.

[@mctaguer]

Boston fan here; not pissed, even if you rank Tatum 6th. No worries. I've never seen you assert a view without backing it up with solid facts. Carry on....

[@glorious644]

You picked Minnesota against Dallas, so it doesn't really matter who won the Nuggets/Wolves series. Didn't change anything though.

[@stevinsmith8683]

Hey Jason love the video. Resident Celtics fan here. I agree with most of what you said in your analysis of Knicks vs Boston, but I do have a basketball disagreement/point that I'd like to get your take on: I think you are underrating just how good Jrue and Derrick are defensively as it relates to matching up with Brunson. Brunson is great, but he's 6 foot 2 200 lbs at most. Both Jrue and Derrick are 6 foot 4 plus and have about 10-15 pounds on him. Thats part of the reason why we were able to beat the Knicks 4 out of 5 times during the regular season, and the time they won was game 80 when we basically dogged it cause we had clinched everything a month ago. Brunson shot under 50% in all of those 4 wins primarily due to Jrue and Derricks physical defense Im curious do you think he can overcome that over the course of a 7 game series? Appreciate the content and looking forward to hearing your analysis during the season

[@angelmercedes2029]

They were 4-5 cause that was before the OG trade where there were a lot of inconsistencies with the Knicks. RJ and IQ weren’t playing the best and QG regressed. The floor shrunk with them on the floor now with better spacing like we saw in their final matchup he can have more space to operate. I get Jrue White having weight on him but Brunson doesn’t get bothered by guys like that when he has the space to operate

[@rory4690]

Mailbag: Hey Jason, can you name some of your most intriguing/favourite defensive prospects who are in the league but don't get much PT. I think guys like Matisse Thybulle are super interesting to watch, but they never seem to last a long time in the league because of Offensive shortcomings.

[@senpainft6860]

I don’t think you speak to Denver’s pick and roll defense taking a massive hit going from KCP to Braun

[@xavier92991]

Didn’t mention D Live in the Denver matchup 👀. There’s a real chance he’s our 3rd best player this year and not cuz Klay is washed or PJ regresses.

[@tompratt7125]

Nuggets ranked too high? Their championship core that won a chip 15 months ago is the same and all in their 20's. Two of them--Murray and MPJ--just entering their primes. They completely dominated in their chip run with a better team than now but were so far out in front they could afford to come back to the pack a bit caused by the new CBA which was designed to stop them--and teams like them--from repeating or creating a dynasty. Murray was 50% due to injury the last playoffs. I'll give Jason Tatum the last word. When asked after the C's won the chip when they knew they would win it all he said, 'When the Nuggets got eliminated.'

[@andrewabraham5109]

Hello Jason, this has been a debate among Knick fans and it is about the 5th starter and who it will be alongside Brunson, Mikal, OG, and KAT. The 2 guys are Josh Hart and Deuce McBride, both guys have their strengths and weaknesses, Deuce is a great shooter and a pitbull on defense and he will complete the 5 out starting lineup which are the pros but the cons are he is small and we lose rebounding and may have to depend on Mikal and OG who are not the best rebounders, as for Josh Hart, his strengths are playmaking, faster pace in transition and rebounding while providing versatility and the weakness of Hart is teams will leave him wide open and dare him to shoot thress as we know that is his limitation, i'm split on who should start but what is your opinion on who should be the 5th starter between McBride and Hart?

[@mr.lchannel9760]

Sir the reason why it was an Allen iverson approach it was due to INJURIES 🤦🏾‍♂️ when Randle was playing the team was well balanced..these mainstream media are taking what the Knicks were in the playoffs and are making blanket statements..because they don’t watch the Knicks. Stop it Brunson had to play that way. Randle was big role in our offense

[@NelsonBlakeII]

Allegedly reasonable Knicks fan here. While I do think Boston is the better team, I think the Knicks have another weapon in beating them: attrition. In today's league of more parity, especially when you look at the Celtics' participation in the Olympics, I think it's tougher to play super long seasons and win back-to-back than it was in the superteam era. Boston can't coast, just like Denver couldn't, because of parity. I don't think Boston is better than the Knicks if Porzingis isn't playing and I'm not willing to assume health for a 7'3" that is far from 100% every post season.

[@byranttaylor1535]

I dnt know y as a boston fan from boston if healthy Philly looking tough i know we beat them for yhe last 7 years but this team they assembled again if healthy i think they r better than NYC even though NY is still a tough team

[@clint3868]

That’s assuming Philly shows up healthy and even if they do, Embiid will be a defensive liability against the spaced out Boston offense and they have poor depth. Personally I’m more worried about the knicks because they are more of an unknown

[@byranttaylor1535]

@clint3868 yea true but the additions can put them over the top look How many variations the tatum brown duo had to go through b4 the chip the kembas to kyrie to IT the paul George the emergence of maxie I mean they gonna be tough but yes NY definitely great season coming up

[@PatriotsAndTruth]

Knicks will beat Boston. The Knicks have the players to slow down Tatum and Brown. OG and bridges are elite perimeter defenders, by ratings not opinion, and both Tatum and Brown have been slowed down before. To this point Prime Brunson has NOT been slowed down. He’s torched Boston before. Holiday, Brown and Tatum all great defenders. Still not stopping JB. Period

[@byranttaylor1535]

@PatriotsAndTruth prisoner in the moment, hahaha, put some respect on the champs and get there first, sounding like jimmy Butler until riley had to let him know NY has never been there nobody picking knicks

[@PatriotsAndTruth]

@@byranttaylor1535 took you guys almost a decade once you got your guys 😂

[@spl1x]

Celtics fan here. When I heard the Knicks traded Hart I was so happy. That dude is a beast on the boards and I will NOT miss playing him as often. KAT can DEFINITELY board, obviously, but where exactly is KAT in his career? I'm not kidding when I say, right now, in 2024, if you offered me KAT for Hart straight up, considering salary... nah. Unless, of course, it will put the Knicks over the top. I'm just not sure this move does it, with who they had to give up. We shall see. Glad to see the Knicks back in the mix, though. -EDIT Just to add to this, Brunson is a motherfucking BEAST. I hate him. Respect.

[@chrisstfort7]

Mailbag: Pelicans are interested in Mitchell Robinson and Knicks are interested in Trey Murphy. As much as I love Deuce, would you execute a trade for Murphy involving Mitch with Deuce as a sweetener? Would a Trey Murphy even the odds against Boston?

[@Joe_Ma99]

Jason, why are you acting like the Nuggets didn’t lose 2 big pieces from their championship team?

[@drewp839]

3, jeff green was great for them

[@KogaDevv]

Because they still have their same 4 best players and Jokic is still the best player in the NBA

[@Joe_Ma99]

@@KogaDevv no doubt they’re still a really good team bc of that but how does losing KCP not lower their expectations when they were visibly too gassed to get past round 2? It doesn’t make logical sense.

[@uwannasee_greatness]

​@@Joe_Ma99he's not only saying they're a top 3 team, the only teams ahead of them are the Celtics and OKC (maybe because who knows he might put them at 2) because he believes that Jokic is so good I guess only some of the most talented teams in history are better locks them his team winning it all. You would've thought this dude was fresh off a three peat....also don't forget, KCP was top 5 in +/- in the entire league. They now lost 2 of their top 5 3pt shooters(their biggest weakness) and replaced them with the worst high volume 3 pt shooter in NBA history. All because Jokic is "that good."

[@drewp839]

@@KogaDevv too bad 4 players isn’t enough to win championships

[@kgtd2160]

Unless KAT remembers how to back down smaller players, I don't see them dethroning the Celtics.

[@charlied1900]

Before the KAT/Randle trade, would you have ranked Dallas over Knicks?

[@cmac392]

Knicks at #4 is fair. Major talent upgrade to this roster over the last year

[@JimHunnicutt-t2s]

You bash the Wolves for not having depth then rank the 6 player Knicks ahead of them. nice.

[@stevesmiff]

You are likely 1 of the best minds on the beeakdown...but I think you still can't quantify what Brunson does to a defense. He changes matchups in a way that is every difficult to put into a traditional offensive plus/minus. He demoralizes bigger stronger defenses, and now they add a pick and pop/roll 50/40/90 big. 2 lock down wings, taking away defensive responsibilities. More floor spacing. Brunson may win most improved, even though he was top 3 PG in the league

[@cmac392]

You had the Lakers as a TOP4 contender a year ago. To start the 2023-24 eason, you had, in order: Denver, Milwaukee, Boston, & LA Lakers (after their WC Final appearance). You absolutely loved the Lakers top 10 players to start last season "two starting units" was some of the Laker nonsense Then the Lakers won the IST, which emboldened your view of them. Now it's "they were awesome over the last 47 games last year". They were a PLAY IN team, which has been their place for a few seasons. Cherry-picking a 3-10 part of the season "where they actively didn't try/ get the HC fired" is just one more Laker excuse. They had near-perfect health from Bron and AD. They got swept by an exhausted Nuggets team. Credit to you for knocking down the Lakers ranking this season, but at some point, you have to admit that you have been overrating the Lakers for a few seasons now, they are your blind spot.

[@Xlr8UrL1f3]

Knicks & Celtics in the 2025 ECF would be epic injuries aside. And hoping Tibs doesn't run the Knicks into the ground.

[@FatboyJo]

Cavs boston

[@neilanger2538]

The Knicks will lose to Pacers again.

[@5OhRanger]

Thibs is gonna grind kat into the ground like be does with all his starters

[@Elias_Soto]

👆this!

[@OBJYN788]

Thibs coached KAT in Minnesota from 2016-2019. Nearly 4 seasons and KAT missed a grand total of 5 games. You got any other bs narratives?

[@5OhRanger]

Ya, that was five plus years ago. You don't get healthier as you age. He also only played 5 playoff games the time he was with thibs. But sure playing all the starters 40+ is the right thing to do.

[@OBJYN788]

@@5OhRanger not a single Knicks starter averaged 40+ minutes last year… try again pumpkin

[@5OhRanger]

Hart and brunson both averaged 40 minutes in the playoffs 😆

[@sikkouvol.1996]

Knicks above the mavs is actually crazy

[@glorious644]

Saying Kyrie is slightly better than Murray to support ones bad take is disingenuous. Using the Nuggets health as an excuse while refusing to acknowledge Luka's injuries in the playoffs is even worse. Propping up the Nuggets because they always beat the Lakers is embarrassing.

[@KogaDevv]

Luka having injuries has nothing to do with the Nuggets. Nuggets lost to Minnesota because of the injuries and if they win that series they are more than happy with the matchup of Dallas. Not disingenuous. Not embarrassing.

[@glorious644]

@@KogaDevv These one sided hypertherticals are pointless. Here are some facts about these Nuggets in the playoffs. * They have not beaten 50 win team in the playoffs. * They blew a 20 point second half lead in a game 7 while having the best player in the world. * Their roster has gotten worse in the last 2 off seasons.

[@drewp839]

I don’t see an agreement for the nuggets being this high. Last year showed their lack of bench’s impact, they lost more depth this year. They have a bad bench straight up, and now are replacing kcp with Braun in the starting lineup which removes the perfectly built lineup around Jokic. Removing one of their best shooters and overall offensive players with Christian Bruan who is someone you have no fear of hitting threes is a gigantic problem. This team ain’t a contender

[@nicklopez1305]

they got the best player in the world lol

[@drewp839]

@@nicklopez1305 Yeah (i think Giannis still is but jokic is fair), but he has maybe the worst surrounding cast of any team trying to compete. Jokic is all they have going for them relative to great teams. Id have them behind the bucks

[@tompratt7125]

@@drewp839 Uh, what? The Nuggets core--all in their 20's unlike the laughably aging and rightly ranked Bucks--just won a championship in dominant fashion 15 months ago. Hello. Anybody there? They've lost some fringe pieces--I repeat fringe pieces. I expect at least one of the younger guys to make a leap and the front office to make a veteran addition or two. I don't think the Bucks are even a top 4 team in the east.

[@drewp839]

@@tompratt7125 they have 4 good nba players on their team, they are not contenders

[@ionic66]

@@drewp839 Jokic, Jamal, MPJ, AG, CB, Watson, Russ, Strawther, Saric. That's 9. You could add Vlatko, but we'll see how he bounces back

[@clint3868]

Everyone in the comments who thinks Dallas should be above all of these teams is missing the reality about their defense. When Dallas plays against teams that can’t space them out and they can rely on high level rim protection, they are a really good defense. When Dallas plays against a team that can space them out and attack mismatches they are a bad defense, especially after losing Derrick Jones Jr. It’s extremely difficult to see how the Mavs win a championship with this setup in the modern NBA

[@bedandbreakfast4033]

Which Celtics and Thunder are, not Knicks. Also, they can space out, Hart and Mikal are not good shooters. And they are very small compared to Luka. If OG guarding Luka, than Mavs PF and SF have mismatch which they can use. Knicks were specifically built for Boston matchup which they will lose because White and Jrue are much bigger guards than Brunson and Hart

[@ShoLowMan]

The thing with the Celtics is the Celtics will let anyone shoot 3’s they invite teams to match them in 3 point attemps

[@jeffmagic32]

In the west the Knicks are just another team between the 2 and 11 seed.

[@bkbk-rn6ny]

I was gonna come and complain that the Knicks are number 3 not 4…. But I see everyone in the comments complaining 😂😂. So imma just hush… lol

[@diegobromfield]

Honestly, I think there is too much blind overhype of the Nuggets from you guys. They get worse every offseason since the title run and they just lost 3/4 games on their home court this playoffs. Including blowing a 20 point lead. Its better if you stop lying to yourself and simply tell us you have Jokic in the top 4 rather than the whole Nuggets. Mavs and OKC are clearly the best in the west. As for the east... yeah the Knicks look tough.

[@mrd1wan321]

Who is "you guys"? Everybody & their mother is disrespecting the Nuggets & saying they're a washed team. Have no chance at a championship etc. Jason is like the only media member who gives the Nuggets respect & you have such a big problem with that hahaha

[@SDesWriter]

Yeah, but you always have to contend with joker and all he needs is for at least two of his teammates to show up at or above their season averages to take over. I don’t consider them a favorites, but I’m also not foolish enough to rule them out.

[@drewp839]

Nuggets are a first round exit

[@diegobromfield]

*A Nugget (Jokic). Is in the top 4 in the league. The Nuggets are not. Thats what he should have said.

[@SDesWriter]

@@drewp839 Depends on who they play. If they're playing a low-rung team, then no way. If they start against OKC, the Wolves, Dallas.....could be.

[@viktortunic]

So, I take it #3 OKC, #2 DEN, #1 BOS, which I agree with.

[@RMusing]

No way denver are at 2

[@viktortunic]

@@RMusing He's been high on Denver last year, but, ok, then #3, I am ok with that, too.

[@RMusing]

@@viktortunic yeah I wouldn't have them top 5. I think okc, mavs even wolves might be better than them. And I got a few teams in the east better than them. I think their defense and offense bith are going to be worse than last season.

[@ionic66]

@@RMusing How can the Mavs of Wolves beat them in 7? Especially with KAT gone, Jokic will feast

[@viktortunic]

@@RMusing I disagree. Denver has a smashing first team, and enough time to get great use of Westbrook and Šarić that will, imho, be in the 2nd team. Strawther is amazing in deffense, all got better and there is a lot to hope for (for a Denver fan like me). They're easy top 5, imho, but I see your point. DAL are good, now also have finals experience, MIN I think will fall w/o KAT, OKC lack PO experience, still. I mean, West is insane. And I don't worry about anybody but BOS from East.

[@charlied1900]

Jason, you put Dallas on a tier below the top 4. Namely because of your thesis they are dead to rights against Boston. You then say the same thing for New York when they are even more likely to run into Boston. Seems inconsistent.

[@vladtheimpaler7375]

If you want to put the Celtics and the Thunder ahead of the Mavs in the power rankings, that’s fine (man… if the Thunder were so good who could have possibly beat them last year?) and even if you want to show respect to Denver and put them ahead of the Mavs I won’t argue too hard with you (good luck with Russell Westbrook though) But i don’t understand how you have the Knicks ahead of the Mavs. Every complaint you can make about Luka (his usage rate is too high, he doesn’t play enough defense) you can make about Brunson except Brunson is 6’3” and nowhere near Lukas caliber as a player. So what puts The Knicks above the Mavs? Are you telling me KAT is a better second option than Kyrie? Are they a better defensive team? Really? A team with KAT at center is going to be better defensively than the Mavs? Are they gonna run KAT at 4 and Robinson at 5? You think that’s a lineup that wouldn’t get exploited by teams like the Mavs or Celtics? If you’re whole argument for keeping the Mavs out of the true contender category is that they had a bad matchup against the Celtics (every team has a bad matchup against the Celtics), then do you really think the Knicks would have a matchup advantage against the Mavs? How did KAT look in the playoffs against Dallas last year? Did Mikal Bridges lock up Luka in the playoffs when he was on the Suns? In my opinion you need to swap the Knicks and the Mavs. The Mavs have proven themselves in the playoffs and the Knicks haven’t and the Mavs have a better player. You also made a lot of qualifications about how the Thunder were one play away from game 7 and Murray was hurt against Minnesota, but Luka was hurt for the entire playoffs!!!! Maybe if he was healthy we beat the Thunder in 5 and go 7 against the Celtics. For the record, though, I agree with most of your criticisms of the Mavs and recommendations - I think they need to play less Luka ball and there’s no excuse for Luka’s defensive performance in the finals but the Mavs are just a proven winner to me and I don’t think the Knicks have earned that status.

[@Z3R0-FCC]

Did you even watch the video. He clearly said the differentiator between the top 4 teams and everyone else is the lineup versatility, size, half court creation, and ability to be in the top 10 on both offense and defense. The mavs have questions on most of those things. Outside of luka and kyrie, who are you creating mismatches with? Notice how the top 4 teams all have counters and mismatches for EACH OTHER

[@federicoperezpablo1314]

I understand Jason Throwing flowers to JT for his post defense but I think is kind of getting out of control. It work for Boston for one Reason Gaford, Lively and Turner are 3 of the centers in the NBa with zero post-game in the league and in reality it works for many centers, but I do think if you ask him to Guard the top centers in the league And even Kat who average on d but awesome on offense that taking more likely will fail.

[@mrimpala11]

This is what I thought about during the finals. If Dallas had a center that could punish the Cs in the post, then they series is different. Tatum would not be able to guard a center and would be a liability in defense.

[@ajroc1393]

The Knicks three spots ahead of the Wolves is wild.

[@srtnnrnn7405]

Cope

[@dimelo58]

They just lost their best second option and arguably their best 3 point shooter

[@ajroc1393]

@dimelo58 I'm a Wolves fan we gained way more than we lost with KAT. That's a lazy take

[@dimelo58]

@@ajroc1393 you don’t think you’ll miss his spacing?

[@ajroc1393]

@@dimelo58 kat literally just stood there. I'd argue Randle will help the spacing since he has gravity going downhill and is a way better playmaker

[@mauriciocanales5420]

I didn’t even watch the video and I already concur with the logic.

[@bedandbreakfast4033]

I understand why he would put Celtics and Thunder over Mavs. I kinda can accept Nuggets in 3rd. But Knicks?? Their 1 thru 3 are too small. KAT is at best neutral defender. Whole defense is on OG who's injury prone. Also, their bench sucks besides McBride. What are we talking? I would even take Pacers over Knicks

[@rylieweaver1516]

I can’t wait to see Stephen A on first take of the Knicks win the chip… or lose in the finals 😂

[@C0NNT3NT]

AD doesn’t crack the list of most versatile defenders??? So GM’s don’t watch 🏀

[@Watch.Ur_Step]

I don't think any team can beat the Celtics when healthy. now, if Dingus Pingus continues to miss games, then they are still only beatable by maybe a handful of squads.

[@stevenwhiters8928]

Porzingis better in mid range Kat better in low post. He actually draws doubles. Series comes down to Tatum being a star.

[@mrimpala11]

Knicks wouldn't beat the Mavs in a series. Luka is miles better than everyone on the court and Kyrie is up there with Brunson.

[@jumelhopkins1353]

That would be interesting. I personally don’t think the mavs have enough defensively on the wings. They have 2 great interior defenders, but vs Kat that might get compromised. I have no doubt Dallas would score. Think Knicks would score more.

[@mrimpala11]

@@jumelhopkins1353 naji and PJ would do well against Kat. They literally shut down Kat last yr

[@jumelhopkins1353]

@@mrimpala11Yea I mean on the wings and back court. Guarding Brunson And Bridges on ball and then accounting for OG and Hart off ball movement. Klay Luka and Kyrie?

[@mrimpala11]

@jumelhopkins1353 they can take Klay out and put Naji in if need be, but Kyrie can guard Brunson a bit bcuz of size. We played SGA who avg 30 and they still lost in 6. DJJ was not a shut down defender before Gafford and PJ arrived, so I don't think defense will be that bad. Especially with DLive getting better too

[@PatriotsAndTruth]

Am I the only one bothered with the script reading? It throws the video off for me

[@joshsmooth9129]

Knicks definitely better then the Mavs and wolves

[@DominikMusiol]

This is a little absurd. Mavs aren’t in the top tier. Ok. We shall see in June. I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised… the word “expert” has lost significant meaning in the last few years… 😂

[@michaelwood6890]

KAT can protect the rim he’s just not great at it!

[@Shakdadon]

Never can play porzingus off the floor. He will always get put on worst shooter. 21:26

[@OGverde12]

Picking the Knicks over Milwaukee and Philly ain’t it lol

[@procopiomacaspac3087]

Keyword here "IF". Means it remains to be seen. Until then, its all hype.

[@PuertoRicanSamurai]

The Celtics will head back to the finals if healthy this year. The Knicks and 76ers are a threat to the Celtics. Knicks are ranked too high on this power ranking list.

[@mctaguer]

Denver also simply matches up better with Boston. Why would Dallas fare better a second time around. Because of Klay? Keep dreaming.

[@50diggz]

76ers gonna win more games than the Knicks.

[@taekim2378]

Warriors just might surprise you.

[@MihoyMinoy-si8fb]

No.

[@christophergreen141]

😂

[@ClarkeKent5]

😭😭😭😭Mf didn’t even wait to watch the video

[@MihoyMinoy-si8fb]

@ClarkeKent5 Don’t need to. Celtics are objectively better than the Knicks.

[@donnycassidy3318]

Knicks are overrated. Kat was a bad acquisition to compete vs the celtics and pacers. Celtics in 4-5

[@edouble9573]

KNICKS BETTER THAN THE MAVS???? BYE!!! LMAO

[@cmac392]

Tatum guards KAT on the perimeter. JT has shut him down before

[@Brent_Fiore]

YOUR TAKES ARE A JOKE

[@peterkrueger4531]

I promise you the knicks are not better than the wolves

[@jumelhopkins1353]

In the offseason, these guys just have questions about a Naz Randle Gobert fit. Certainly Minnesota can answer those questions, but this is preseason.

[@peterkrueger4531]

@@jumelhopkins1353 they were one of the best combos for them in plus minus its like they can't google

[@DevinPosey20]

Ew knicks

[@jacobw8849]

Come on now… the Knicks aren’t better than the Wolves and Mavs.

[@lokkedpiano5261]

This list is not necessarily about who is better but who can be flexible against 4 playoff matchups. In other words, Jason's list discusses the order of the highest probability teams to win the NBA championship

[@AndyCruz-c6h]

Yes they are lol

[@drewp839]

They are much better

[@PrettyLifeQueensKing]

Idk 🗽

[@Strongisland435]

Knicks are better I Believe

[@pedrodimaggio4144]

Timpf disrespecting Celtics by putting Knicks and OKC at the “same tier”. Not surprised tho.

[@favordave]

This guy should just stop answering questions from people who address him as this guy

[@andrewkraft2586]

lol trying to say the Knicks are better than the Wolves is laughable. Wolves went deeper in a tougher Western conference and are now a deeper team than last year. The Knicks have no depth and a bunch of mid players.

[@jumelhopkins1353]

Wolves went deeper because they had a good bill of health. Knicks were decimated. Wolves have the deeper roster, but they still have a lot of questions about the Naz, Randle, Gobert fit. Plus Conley is 37.

[@alkalytoure4108]

Bro I promise u the Knicks are not better than the Sixers

[@Virgil200]

Based on what? The Knicks beat the Sixers in the playoffs last year. The Sixers need to prove they’re better than the Knicks, not the other way around.

[@glovs4188]

They are. PG has been missing since 2018. Embiid constantly hurt. Maxey is good. Brunson is arguably second best player in the east behind giannis. And was unstoppable even when getting triple teamed last year.

[@flyboygreg09]

I promise you they are

[@gavcurtis2994]

@@glovs4188brunson isnt better than embiid and tatum

[@glovs4188]

@@gavcurtis2994 he easily is. Literally a better playmaker and scorer. More ppg especially in the playoffs on much better efficiency without a second option on his team. Brown could even easily out impact tatum. I'll wait for your argument. Lol

[@rogerjohnson833]

WARNING ALL, ALERTING ALL > There will be no more professional sports after the dollar collapses this fall.

[@landcybrazile7728]

The New York Knicks is second to win the championship 2024-2025.

[@angelsaint-hilaire4372]

The Mavs made it to the Finals by beating the #5, #1 and #3 teams in the West. They did that with an injured Luka, a 19 year old rookie center and a team that had not been together for more than half the season. I see a lot of projecting with OKC and not affording the same with the Mavs who beat both OKC and Wolves.

[@Johnsnowe-mc2]

I love the Mavs. Luka one of my favorite players. That being said, they ain’t beating OKC this year

[@angelsaint-hilaire4372]

@@Johnsnowe-mc2 Can you elaborate on why you think that? Because while I think OKC will be the #1 seed given their youth and ability to stay healthy, I don’t think they can beat the Mavs in the playoffs.

[@Johnsnowe-mc2]

@@angelsaint-hilaire4372 The addition of Hartenstein and Caruso was a masterclass. As great as Klay is, unfortunately, Father Time is undefeated. Klays knees are done. Mavs got a little better but OKC got significantly better

[@angelsaint-hilaire4372]

@@Johnsnowe-mc2 Klay’s knees may be done, but he won’t be asked to run around in a motion offense or expected to be the 2nd best on a team like in GS. The guy was still shooting it with the best of them from 3pt. And when he played with an athletic big, he was able to playmake a bit. So as a 3pt shooter, floor spacer and play maker, he’ll be a huge asset for the Mavs. OKC’s strategy was to leave the corners open to DJj and PJ last year and they got burned. What do you think will happen with Klay in that role? They also were able to load up on Kyrie because of DJJ inability to shoot from outside. Mavs also added more ball handling, shooting and playmaking with Naji, Grimes and Dinwiddie. Remember that THJ last year averaged 4pts per game in the playoffs.

[@angelsaint-hilaire4372]

So Mavs just didn’t get a “little” better. Also, if you see Luka in games 1-4 (closer to his injury) vs 5 and 6, you can see that he was getting no lift in his 3pt shot dude to knee injury. OKC couldn’t beat a Mavs team with an injured Luka. Also a Mavs team that had only been together for half the season, a near 100+ mins, while OKC was together for 900+ mins. When you add continuity, health to Luka, addition of more shooting and playmaking and growth to guys like Lively who was 19 years old, Mavs will improve a lot more than just a little bit.