 By Elliot Allen
Four games into the season, the New York Knicks sit at 2 wins and 2 losses. Their record of .500 is ironic and indicative of how the early season has gone so far. The Knicks won the first 2 games beating the Clevland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics. Then dropped the last 2 on the road against the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks. In all 4 games the Knicks have played with flashes of brilliance and bouts of stagnation. This is a product of foundational change in the head coach. Coach Mike Brown vowed to create more of an equal opportunity offense by increasing ball movement and minimizing isolation basketball. On the other end of the ball, Coach Brown has also looked to tighten up the defense and create more turnovers to get easy opportunities on the offense. Just like their record, half of the time the Knicks make good strides toward these changes. Other times they fall back into the same habits that ultimately caused their exit in last year's playoffs against the Pacers. Those moments of good ball movement that we have seen this year have made the Knicks very tough to defend. In their game against the Bucks, in the 2nd quarter particularly, the Knicks moved the ball very well. Getting good penetration and kicking the ball around the perimeter for open shots, which they knocked down. However, as the 3rd quarter started the Knicks settled into isolation play and the ball movement stopped, causing their shooting percentage to drop and giving the Bucks the opening they needed to take control of the game for the win. Coach Brown talked about the inconsistent play but also understands it is a process to get the team to become fully comfortable with the foundational changes. How quickly the Knicks can become comfortable with Coach Browns system will weigh heavily on the outcome of this season. With only four games under their belt, it appears the Knicks are on the right track with their progress. It will be interesting to see their progress at the 20-game mark of the season. Ultimately, the key to success will be determined by whether Brown can get the players to buy into the system. Of course, with change there will always be push back and not everyone will be happy. There is some talk of Karl Anthony Towns being uncomfortable with his role so far. That does go with the territory of a new system. The equalizer to all of that is winning! Time will tell us a lot about the direction of the New York Knicks in the 2025-2026 season.
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 By Elliot Allen
The New York Knicks opened the season with an early showdown against the Cleveland Cavaliers, a matchup many predict could be a preview of the Eastern Conference finals. Madison Square Garden was electric with anticipation for the special season, the crowd feeling as though it was picking up right where the playoffs ended last year. The Cavaliers also look hungry to erase the memory of last year's disappointing playoff loss after posting the league's best record. The game proved indicative of teams' eagerness to start the season impressively; however, both were dealing with injuries. The Cavaliers were missing their All-Star Darius Garland and key player De’Andre Hunter. While the Knicks were managing without Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson, both teams played well without their key players. For the Knicks, it was fascinating to see the changes that came with the new Head Coach, Mike Brown, including both their offense and defense. The ball seemed to move around more evenly, and the scoring was much more balanced throughout the game, securing a solid victory for the Knicks. They were led in scoring by OG Anunoby, who finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds. The Knicks had five players finishing in double figures, including 23 points from captain Jalen Brunson. The Knick defense was aggressive, jumping into the passing lanes and really pushing the ball after Cavalier turnovers. The Cavaliers did put up a great road effort, battling back several times to reduce double-digit deficits; however, the Knicks continued to counter with runs of their own to secure a 119-111 victory. This game was a great win to start the season. Next up for the Knicks is the Boston Celtics, who come to town Friday night.  By: Aaron Allen
The NBA season has started, and has started in a big and interesting way for the Philadelphia 76ers in their first game of their regular season Tonight the 76ers picked up a major win against the Boston Celtics in TD Garden in a very impressive, entertaining game just running away with the win by 1 point. For this Philadelphia win there are 2 major names to take credit in this Sixers win, and those names are Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe as they combined for a total of 74 points at the end of the game. Tyrese tonight, had a 40 point game with 6 assists on the night. He played 40 minutes and went 7/9 from the 3 point range tonight. Tyrese’s impact was definitely felt while he was on the court in this game, especially having a huge 19 point 2nd quarter, and a huge 15 point 4th quarter to ensure them the win tonight. This is a great pickup from where Tyrese left off last season and as if he didn’t play good enough during the preseason, tonight was a significant improvement from his performance then. VJ Edgecombe, just simply a masterclass of a game and not to mention, his NBA rookie debut. A huge 34 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. VJ had a great preseason run and that did not stop or slow down tonight being that this was his first official NBA game of his career. VJ made his presence known straight away having a massive 14 point 1st quarter, and staying consistent all throughout the night as well. VJ is showing great and promising potential and can prove to be a very valuable piece for the 76ers. These 2 are already looking to be a very promising and dominant front court duo as they really came up big, picking up the slack from Embiid and his off night. This was a very good win for the Sixers, an even better way to start off the season, and hopefully a confidence booster anyone of the team needed heading into their next matchup against the Charlotte Hornets. By: Isiah Allen  The NBA season has begun, and there’s no better way to start the season opener than with the Lakers going against the Warriors. The Lakers and the Warriors are coming off seasons where both teams made the playoffs, but unfortunately lost before the Western Conference Finals. In the offseason, both teams spent time adding to their rosters. The Lakers brought in players Marcus Smart, providing a defensive backup point guard, and DeAndre Ayton, finally securing the center they have been searching for. The Warriors signed Al Horford, giving them a strong center with his ability to shoot threes and space the floor. They also resigned Jonathan Kuminga after there was a lot of speculation that he may not return. Regardless, both teams are coming in with a roster that has the potential to win a championship, but have little to no playing time together. The Warriors played games with Jimmy Butler, went on a phenomenal run, and ended the season with a 23-7 record, taking down the 2-seeded Rockets in the first round. The Lakers are coming in with two no pieces that can make or break their season, but it’s fair to say they’re title favorites.
Without LeBron James, the Lakers struggled against the Warriors, losing 119-109. Luka Dončić carried the team, finishing the game with a phenomenal stat line of 43 points, 8 assists, and 12 rebounds, but his teammates couldn’t get anything going to help him. Another huge factor in their loss tonight was their ability to guard the three-ball. The Warriors shot 17/40 from three, which is 42.5% while the Lakers shot 8/32, achieving 25%. The Lakers do get credit, though, because despite being down almost 20 at some point, they never stopped fighting for the game. They managed to bring the game down to within seven late in the fourth. The team came alive in the fourth quarter with Austin Reaves and DeAndre Ayton stepping up. Reaves finished with 26 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds, while in his Laker debut, Ayton recorded 10 points and 6 rebounds. The Warriors started their season with a new lineup, finally including Jonathan Kuminga, and they did not disappoint. The Warriors came out hot with Jimmy Butler leading the way with 15 first-quarter points. They slowed down a little in the second but picked it right back up in the third and fourth. The Warriors showed chemistry tonight with their plays, with everyone dishing the ball and getting open for high-percentage shots. Their top performers were Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Buddy Hield, and Jonathan Kuminga. It was truly an all-around game for the Warriors, with Jimmy Butler leading the charge with 31 points, followed by Steph with 21, as well as both Buddy Hield and Jonathan Kuminga having 17. The Warriors did what they do best: shooting the lights out and securing the win for their first game of the season. They then picked up where they left off, with Jimmy Butler earning them a win against one of the top teams in the West. They have truly earned their status from last season into this one as a championship contender, and they proved tonight they won't go down easy. Although the Lakers lost, they should not be discouraged; they played winning basketball, especially down the stretch of the game. They have the team to win it all; they just need to gain playing experience with each other. When LeBron comes back, that team is only going to get better. There was no better way to start the NBA 2025-2026 season. By Elliot Allen As we get ready for the start of new season, the excitement in New York City is higher than it has been since the Patrick Ewing led New York Knicks. This year's team has emerged as a true title contender for the coveted NBA Championship. The sting of the loss to the Indiana Pacers in last year’s playoffs still rings as unfinished business for the Knicks. One of the early season questions will be can they reset their mindset and use the tough loss as a confidence builder to know they can win the championship this year. The Knicks will be returning their core players to the team, which is something we have not commonly seen in the past from this team.
However there will be a major component change in the coaching position. New York fired Coach Tom Thibodeau and brought in veteran coach Mike Brown. The move was a mild surprise in response to the abrupt elimination of the team in last year’s playoffs. This will be part of mental reset ahead of the Knicks this season. The often criticized New York Knicks offense was offered as a reason for their elimination against the Pacers. Knick team captain Jalen Brunson had an outstanding season carrying the heavy load of being the marquee player inside the famed Madison Square Garden. The underlying tone of the team is there needs to be more ball movement and equal opportunities on the offensive end of the floor. The Knicks added more firepower with shooting guard Jordan Clarkson, to go along with potent scorers Karl Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby. Mikal Bridges is another returning staple in the offensive attack that could be utilized more under Coach Mike Brown. Brown spoke about opening up the offense and playing faster, as well as tightening up on the defensive end. The Knicks won 51 games last year and had a strong playoff run. So, it will require a mental reset to embrace the big picture of winning the championship. The physical pieces are there, so it will be interesting to see if the Knicks can go to another level mentally and play with that swagger of being a Championship team. The leadership of their captain Jalen Brunson will be a key part of the journey. The most impressive part of his tenure with the Knicks has been his mental strength to perform and play clutch basketball on the most pertinacious stage in the league. It is expected this will be a transition he can handle and take the team to another exciting season pushing further in the playoffs this year. The time is here, and this season will prove to be one of the most significant seasons in quite some time for the New York Knicks. Written By: Elliot Allen
The NBA playoffs are here and the are some truly intriguing matchups to start us off in the first round. The play-in matchups have set the tone for some exciting basketball to come over the next 2 months! One of those interesting matchups will be the New York Knicks vs the Detroit Pistons! This is one of those really contrasting matchups that could prove to be one of the best opening round series. Both teams had a successful season, but the stakes are very different for the two teams. The New York Knicks always have very high expectations from the faithful New York fans. While this was a season of adjustments for the Knicks in which they added a major piece in Karl Anthony Towns. They lost Julius Randle who was a critical part of the success of the team. The transition was successful with Towns having a very good season along with Jalen Brunson continuing to really flourish as top player in the league and cementing his status of being THE Knick of this era. The Knicks finished the season with a 51-31 record. Brunson sustained a severe ankle sprain near season’s end which caused some uncertainty to end the season and a loss of rhythm. The flip side is the Knicks seen increased scoring in Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby during the absence of Brunson. The question is - can they gel the emergence of the two forwards with Brunson’s clutch shooting and offensive prowess. There is pressure for the organization to win a title or at very least have a meaning playoff run. A loss in the first round can mean wholesale changes starting with Coach Tom Thibodeau and trickling down to a major move in the player roster. The Knicks do appear to have enough to make a serious playoff run but execution is essential to the future of the team and its organization. The Detroit Pistons are in a different position for what this playoff series means to them. They are coming off a horrific season. Last year they won a franchise low of 14 games in the season. The season has produced a phenomenal turn around with them boasting an impressive record of 44-38! A very young team that has gelled together behind the leadership of its young star Cade Cunningham. They have looked poised throughout the season coming up with some big wins. The Pistons will prove to be a very dangerous team due to their talent and being in a situation of playing with house money. Although they are an inexperienced team they can play loose with no real expectations. Their star, Cunnigham, does have a poise about his game that seems beyond his actual experience. The more confidence they gain whether they win the series or not will be a huge booster for the Pistons going into next season. The season series went to the Pistons 3-1. The last time they met was in the last week of the season and the Knicks had several key players out with injury. An achilles heel for the Knicks all season has been their inability to beat teams with winning records. It is concerning because teams are who they are so Knicks will have the difficult task of proving that wrong in this case. I look for the experience of the Knicks to prevail. However, if the Pistons get a win in the series early it could prove to the match to ignite themselves to a sizzling series win. This could be the best series in the Eastern Conference first round. Written By: Aaron Allen
The regular season is now over and everybody is of course talking about who's going to win their series, or who’s going to win the chip this year. However, this year is much different, as regular season awards are being announced and handed out, there is one award that is still highly thought of by the fans regarding who will win the most prestigious award there is to earn in the regular season, and that is the MVP award. Most would say the MVP race has never been this close in history with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander putting up great stats all across the board and even being the league's leading scorer this season. He also led his team to the best record in the NBA. Most of the time even in a close race, the one with the better record would be the one to come out on top, but that is not the case this season. Nikola Jokić had nothing short of a historical season being one of only 3 players to average a triple double throughout the season. So the question still reigns, who was the Most Valuable Player this season? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been dominating the league for the past 2 years and unfortunately came up short of the MVP last year and it went to Nikola Jokić. This year Shai has played even better than his debatable MVP season last year making it hard to even question who is at the top of the MVP race. Shai averaged a total of 32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.4 assists, along with these exceptional numbers he had on the season, he as well led his team to the best record in the NBA as mentioned. Most years, this would be an undeniable unanimous MVP but Nikola Jokić is having just a good of a season if not better in some peoples eyes. Jokić has been on a tear throughout the league earning the MVP award 3 times out of 4 seasons. This season he showed no signs of stopping and had a great, even considered historical, season averaging 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists. With these numbers this puts Jokić in a very small elite category of players who have averaged a triple double throughout the season. These stats are hard to look at and not be awarded with the MVP trophy. Although looking at the records, Shai and the Oklahoma City Thunder have not just the best record in their conference, but throughout the entirety of the league, it is also important to look at where the Denver Nuggets are, and consider where they would be without the help of Jokić. He is undoubtedly a major part of the Denver Nuggets being the leading scorer, and the one who really facilitates the ball throughout the games making these big time plays and beautiful passes for an easy bucket. Both had an amazing season that honestly both deserve the MVP award, but at the end of the day there is only 1 player that can come home with that trophy. So is it Shai, or is it Jokić? Written By: Aaron Allen
Last night the Timberwolves went up against the Lakers in Game 1, and what may seem like a shock to some, the Timberwolves came out with the win, fairly easily blowing the Lakers out 117-95. Most predicted that the Lakers were going to win this series easily but being blown out in Game 1 is not a good way to start your Playoff experience, so what really went wrong with the Lakers in this game? The Lakers roster, last night, did not look sharp and it was not the best basketball we’ve seen them play like in the regular season. Luka Doncic played well with 37 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 assist. Along with him comes LeBron James with 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists which is a decent game for LeBron. He can and will do better as we progress through the series. Austin Reaves had 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists, and we know that Reaves is more than capable of doing much better and shooting the ball better than he did this game. The next leading scorer for the Lakers was Rui Hachimura with 9 points, so clearly scoring was a major issue for the Lakers, also the difference in fast break points being that they had 6 to Minnesota’s 25 with LeBron, Reaves, and Luka combining for 11 turnovers out of the 13 they had as a team. Coach JJ Redick, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James pointed out the physicality of the Timberwolves caught them by surprise and it was something they weren’t ready for which was also a factor in this blowout loss. The Minnesota Timberwolves put on a clinic last night against the Lakers pulling out with a huge win against the Lakers on their home floor. The Timberwolves looked to have set the tone of this series, coming out with major physicality that the Lakers felt bigtime. The young superstar Anthony Edwards had a decent night with 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists on poor shooting percentage. Other than the percentage, these stats are still very great and we know that Ant hasn’t even gotten started showing what he’s capable of in the playoffs. Jaden McDaniels had an amazing game last night with 25 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists on an amazing shooting percentage going 11-13 from the field. Another notable performance in this game was Naz Reid. Naz had 23 ponts, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists which was obviously huge for this underdog team. It is key that all of these players are on point and don’t slip up against a team like the Lakers. As a team, Minnesota played the perfect game of basketball. As stated in the previous article, they need everybody on point and can’t slip up, and as the stats show, that’s exactly what they did. The Timberwolves shot 51.2% from the field, and 50% from the three point line as a team. If Minnesota continues this beautiful offense, keeping this intense pressure and physicality, the Lakers can potentially have a major problem comfortably winning this series, or winning at all. Written By: Aaron Allen The NBA Playoffs are here, and we have our 2nd and 7th seed matchup in the western conference set already. The 2nd seed Houston Rockets vs the 7th seed Golden State Warriors.  The Golden State Warriors are coming off a good season themselves going 48-34. The Warriors had an unfortunate end to their season as they dropped from the 5th seed to the 7th seed taking 2 pivotal losses to the Spurs and Clippers. Coming off those losses the Warriors could not afford to miss a beat as they needed to play the Memphis Grizzlies to advance into the playoffs as the number 7 seed. Jimmy Butler had a stellar night leading the team with 38 points on 12-20 shooting, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. Right behind him of course is Stephen Curry with 37 points on 9-22 shooting and 6 of those shots coming from three, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. Another notable performance would be coming from Draymond Green with 10 assists that game. This and the rest of the Warriors performance was enough to get the win over the Grizzlies in a close 121-116 Warriors win putting them in the 7th seed spot going up against the Rockets. The Houston Rockets are coming off a great season going 52-30 putting them at the 2nd seed in a very competitive Western conference. This season the Warriors and the Rockets played each other a total of five times and the Rockets ended up winning the season series going 3-2 against the Warriors. In one of their meetings during the season, young up and coming star, Amen Thompson had a great defensive game holding Curry to just only 3 points throughout the entirety of the game which is unheard of! This defensive performance has people questioning how Curry will do this series and if the Warriors even have a chance at beating the Houston Rockets.  Photo Credit: Toyotacenter.com Although the standings don’t show it, this will not be an easy series for either team, as the Warriors have been on a tear ever since the addition of Jimmy Butler to their team. Both Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry are known to tap into a different level come playoff time and it seems like it doesn’t matter what defensive scheme you throw at them, they will not be shut down or go down quietly. If you take those two, the rest of the Warriors squad who will no doubt give you 20 if you aren’t careful, and the whole squad's huge playoff experience, the Rockets can potentially find themselves in a little trouble against the Warriors. But this is nothing to take away from the Rockets, these young kids have been hooping! Alfred Sengun is having an amazing season. Jalen Green continues to show off his crazy athleticism and why he shouldn’t be taken lightly in this league. The entire rest of the roster are really great players, and they all just play really well as a team. They are definitely in sync. Another two notable players to mention are Fred VanVleet and Dillion Brooks. Fred has great Playoff experience, even Finals experience if they make it that far, and Dillion Brooks has recently played Stephen Curry in a 7-game series in the 2022 Playoffs. So, he knows what it is, and knows what it’s about when it comes to Stephen Curry in the Playoffs and can give guidance to Steph’s assignment who will more than likely be Amen Thompson.
Looking at it from a perspective like this, this series will prove to be nothing short of amazing and competitive between the two, and it is really hard to say who will be the definite winner in this series. In my eyes though…Warriors in 7. Written By: Aaron Allen The #3 seed Los Angeles Lakers go up against the #6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of this year's NBA playoffs. Many All-Stars on the court, and only one team can come out on top and advance to the next round, the only question is which team will it be?  Photo Credit: Matt Krohn LAPRESSE Starting off with the #6 team in the West, the Timberwolves really made a jump on the back half of the season going from an 8th seed play-in team, to now securing their spot in the playoffs as the 6th seed. A major part of that jump is obviously the young superstar Anthony Edwards. Ant had a great season averaging 27 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists this year achieving a feat such as leading the league in 3 pointers made; knocking down 7 threes in the last game to achieve it. Most can make the claim that there is no argument, and the Los Angeles Lakers are the clear winners in their eyes, but one thing the whole world should’ve learned from last year's playoffs is to never count out Anthony Edwards. This young superstar led his team in that playoff run doing things like sweeping Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns and even going to the Western Conference Finals. Fast forward to this season, all he’s shown us is that he’s just getting started and is only getting better and better with more experience. This year though, the Timberwolves roster is looking different with a big piece, in Karl-Anthony Towns, being traded from there to New York. It does look like some of the pieces, if not all, were picked up with the addition of Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle. Donte is coming off a good year with the New York Knicks and is cementing himself as a serious threat from the three ball, and Julius Randle being Julius Randle. Meaning he should be playing like the All-Star we know he is, and Julius is known to be one to get shut down during the playoffs, but he cannot let that happen on this team or it won’t look good at all for the Timberwolves. The Timberwolves are going to need everyone to be playing their best basketball and cannot afford any mistakes. The Los Angeles Lakers had a very rough start to their season in the first half just as the Timberwolves, but since the addition of Luka Donicic they have turned it all the way up and haven’t turned it down since. Luka Doncic is undoubtedly one of the best players in the league, and as he’s coming off a Finals appearance, not only does he now have a little more playoff experience, he knows what he and his team needs to do to get to the NBA Finals. Luka has been averaging 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists for the Lakers and that has been a major contribution for the team. But as soon as you put all of your attention on Luka, in comes Lebron James who is still undeniably one of the best players in the league and his knowledge of the game and playoffs and finals are just unmatched. Lebron has been putting up 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists at the age of 40 years old. This man is a freak of nature and still can’t be stopped by the league! Then when you focus all of your defensive schemes around Lebron and Luka, in comes Austin Reaves who really had an amazing season for himself. He put up 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists this season, which are really good numbers especially considering he has Lebron and Luka on a team with him. If you leave him open though, 20 isn’t even in question, that is an easy 30 ball for the star, and that would be the last thing the Timberwolves need. Overall besides those three, the Lakers have themselves a solid well built team and together it’s really hard to not have them at least in your mind as one of the teams to make it out the West.  Photo Credit: Fanatics.com At the end of the day, there's not a lot of arguing you can do when it comes to this series because on paper it looks like the Lakers are the clear winners and even have a shot at a Championship even, but as stated before, you can never count out the young superstar himself Anthony Edwards, and don’t be shocked when he completely takes this series over.
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