It’s safe to argue that the New York Knicks are once again an elite team in the Eastern Conference. Last season, the Knicks reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years.
Given the depths the Knicks reached last season, many are now expecting New York to make it all the way to the NBA Finals this season. Knicks legend Allan Houston shared his thoughts on his former team’s chances of making a finals run this year.
Allan Houston Weighs In on the Knicks’ 2026 NBA Finals Chances
In a recent interview with Ratings’ DJ Siddiqi, former two-time NBA All-Star Houston talked about the Knicks’ chances of making an NBA Finals run this season.
Looking at the Knicks, they’ve secured the No. 3 seed for the second consecutive year. Given that they reached the Eastern Conference Finals last season in the same position, many believe that New York will go further this year.
While the idea doesn’t seem too far-fetched, Houston thinks that his former team shouldn’t focus too much on reaching the NBA Finals. Instead, he wants to see the Knicks focus on whatever challenge is thrown their way.
“It’s taking it one game at a time,” Houston said. “People don’t like that. It’s not a sexy answer. But when you’re doing this every day, that’s all you can think about. It makes no sense to think about… people outside want to do that because that’s natural. The people outside want to say, ‘Oh, look, we’re going to face this team, we’re going to be here.'”
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“That’s the last thing you’re thinking about when you’re inside the lines,” Houston continued. “Because that’s what kills you. If you’re walking down some steps, you’re not thinking about the third or fourth step down here; you’re thinking about the next one, or you’re going to fall. So to me, that is the mentality.”
Houston believes that the Knicks are good enough to hold down the fort. However, if they fixate on the prize this early, New York might not achieve its goal of winning a third championship in franchise history.
“I think they have a good mixture of leadership and experience. The guys have established a connectedness this year that I like. … So when it gets a little clunky, they have bounced back and responded throughout this season. I think they’re in a good frame of mind to take it one game at a time.”
Looking at the current standings, the Knicks are expected to face off against the Atlanta Hawks in the first round.
