- The 2024 NBA Cup is here, after last year’s in-season tournament was a huge success.
- The Knicks have struggled early on, entering this game at 5-6 with a myriad of injuries.
- Brooklyn has exceeded their expectations of tanking, being relatively competitive at 5-7.
The 2024 NBA Cup kicked off this week with some exciting games already taking place. One of the best games will be the New York rivalry of the Nets vs Knicks. Neither team expected to have similar records at this point.
Nets Have Been Surprisingly Decent
Entering the season, many had the Nets pegged as the team most likely to tank and target Cooper Flagg in next year’s NBA draft. Brooklyn traded most of its top assets this offseason, including Mikal Bridges to the Knicks in the team’s first trade with their rivals in over 50 years. Netting six first-round picks in the process, the Nets have to feel good about sitting just a half game behind the Knicks. They can rub salt in the wound by winning here.
Knicks Already Facing Depth and Injury Woes
The new-look Knicks are off to a bit of a rocky start. They fell behind the Bulls by 22 points at home this week, but nearly came back to win it. At 5-6, New York needs to start heating up quick. They can blame some of their struggles on injuries. The bench lost Precious Achiuwa and Landry Shamet in preseason, while Cam Payne and Deuce McBride are playing hurt. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns are also questionable for this game.
Nets vs Knicks Prediction: Knicks Lay Claim to New York
The biggest factor in this game will be the health of the Knicks. They are guaranteed to be lacking depth with Achuiwa not practicing yet. That being said, Brunson and Towns are likely to continue playing through their discomfort. If both start, the Knicks should be able to distance themselves from the Nets early on and not look back. The Nets may post some scoring runs to stay in it, but they should ultimately lose by 10+ on the road.
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New York Knicks (-500)
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