The Knicks made a bold move to acquire Karl-Anthony Towns, while the Nets made a shocking decision to part ways with Mikal Bridges — sending him to their rivals across the bridge, no less.
For the Knicks, it was a declaration of championship intent, a push to build on last season’s 50-win campaign. For the Nets, it marked the start of a potential rebuild, with Bridges traded for five first-round draft picks to reshape Brooklyn’s future.
Fast forward 24 days into the 2024-25 NBA season, and these two teams find themselves closer in the standings than expected. The Knicks (5-6) and Nets (5-7) are battling for momentum ahead of the first game in a back-to-back series on Friday.
So, should fans be worried—or optimistic?
The Daily News’ Knicks and Nets beat writers, Kristian Winfield and C.J. Holmes, take a closer look:
KRISTIAN WINFIELD: C.J., how are the Nets 5-7? What happened to tanking for Cooper Flagg? What did I miss?
C.J. HOLMES: Oh, so you’re just going to act like I didn’t warn you things were going to play out like this? Remember? We were on the pod, I told you that the Nets were going to be much better than people expected, and you roasted me? How’s my little prediction looking now?
I’m not surprised in the slightest. Minus Mikal Bridges, and I guess you can throw guys like Spencer Dinwiddie, Royce O’Neale and Lonnie Walker IV into the mix, Brooklyn basically returned most of its roster from a year ago — a roster that was playing some pretty competitive basketball until the team decided to sit its vets in what could have been a winnable game at home against the Milwaukee Bucks in December.
The Nets are a talented group when locked in at both ends of the court. There’s a reason why teams around the league continue to monitor the availability of guys like Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith and Dennis Schröder. That talent just needed the right motivation and coaching, and that is what Jordi Fernandez has brought to this franchise. He has those boys hooping. However, if tanking is still the primary objective this season, you can only wonder how long this competitive play will last until general manager Sean Marks pulls the plug.
Meanwhile, the Knicks built their dream roster over the summer and it seems like things have been rocky out the gate. What gives?
KW: When a team like the Knicks makes bold offseason moves that signal a win-now mentality, a 5-6 start is naturally going to raise eyebrows. For fans, concern is warranted — but context is key.
This is a Knicks squad navigating early injuries while simultaneously retooling its identity on both ends of the floor around Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges. The adjustment period was inevitable, especially given the magnitude of change.
Towns, to his credit, has been the Knicks’ best player so far, delivering the kind of offensive versatility and spacing the team sorely lacked last season. His presence has opened up options in their offense, creating lanes for cutters and opportunities for shooters to thrive.
Defensively, though, it’s clear this team is a work in progress. Missing Mitchell Robinson (ankle) and Precious Achiuwa (hamstring) has left the paint vulnerable, and while Towns is adapting to his role as a rim protector, it’s far from seamless. Similarly, Bridges has taken on the responsibility of guarding at the point of attack, a critical but demanding role for a wing still settling into his place on the team.
The biggest challenge has been transition defense, where the Knicks have struggled to stay organized and give up too many easy points. Offensively, they aren’t capitalizing enough on their greatest strength: perimeter shooting. With this roster of capable shooters, they should be putting up closer to 40 threes a game — but that hasn’t happened consistently.
In short, the growing pains are evident, but the pieces are there. It’s a matter of health, adjustments and execution. Whether they can put it all together will determine if this slow start is just a blip, or a warning sign.
You mentioned Jordi — and you mentioned the pod, because of course you did. Head-coaching was not something I had considered when I made that prediction, and neither was a healthy Ben Simmons. Talk to me about both: Is Jordi the real deal, and what have you seen from Ben so far this year?
CH: He’s the real deal, man. Election season just passed, so look at it this way. Politicians promise a lot while they run their campaigns, but in the years they’re actually in office, more than half of the things they promise ultimately never get done, in most cases. When Jordi had his introductory news conference over the summer following his hire, he promised that the Nets were going to be a well-conditioned team that played fast and physical at both ends of the court, he promised a culture shift right away, and he promised that his team would be competitive right away.
Looking at Brooklyn’s first 12 games of the season in a vacuum, I detect no lies, man. Jordi has not only delivered on everything he said, but he has this rebuilding franchise way ahead of schedule. His identity is reflected in his coaching staff and it has trickled down into the locker room. The Nets may have returned a lot of players from 2023-24, but make no mistake, this is a completely different team — and I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so.
Speaking of surprises, Jalen Brunson’s offensive averages have been down across the board. Is he simply working through some early-season kinks, or is his regression a sign of something more troublesome?
KW: I had a strong feeling Jalen Brunson’s scoring would take a step back this season, and for good reason.
First off, when you add a player like Towns to the roster, it’s almost inevitable that your primary ball handler’s scoring output will dip. KAT’s ability to stretch the floor and dominate offensively naturally demands a significant share of the possessions. Second, the Knicks addressed a glaring need by trading for Mikal Bridges — pairing a second 3-and-D wing with OG Anunoby. With more offensive firepower, Brunson’s usage rate was bound to decrease.
But there’s a deeper layer here: Teams are starting to treat Jalen like the star he became last season. The Rockets, for crying out loud, used Dillon Brooks to guard both Brunson and KAT. Houston won that game, and physical play is going to be something Jalen will encounter almost every night.
The Knicks new roster composition calls for Jalen to be less of a scorer and more of a facilitator, though he did get off to a sneaky slow start from downtown.
Since you mentioned the podcast, I believe I told you Cam Thomas was going to win Most Improved Player and average 31.5 points per game this season, didn’t I? Is the CT show worth the hype?
CH: Thomas remains must-see TV on most nights, especially when he gets hot. While he isn’t averaging 31.5 points per game just yet, he is still having a career year in terms of scoring at 23.8 points per game. He has competed defensively and his continued growth as a playmaker has been notable as well. Jordi said he wanted to see better efficiency and improved playmaking from Thomas this season. His effective field goal percentage of 50.9 is a career best, as is his 3.1 assists per game average. Oh, yeah, he’s also among the league leaders in fourth-quarter scoring, so the clutch gene has been there as well.
If things keep trending this way, Thomas can become the King of New York before too long. Who says no?
KW: Big KAT says no.
Towns has scored 40 or more points in a game 15 times in his career. Three of those 15 games have come 11 games into his tenure with the New York Knicks.
KAT is averaging 26.5 points and 12.2 rebounds per game and is shooting a career-best 50.8% from deep. His impact on the team has been undeniable, and while it might not reflect in the win-loss column, Towns has quickly become the engine for this team’s offense, and the Knicks’ championship hopes lie in maximizing his talents on both ends of the floor. It’s no question: You just don’t see players this cat’s height doing the things KAT can do.
We’ve got back-to-back games at MSG. What’s next up for the Nets?
CH: The schedule ahead is brutal. After two games against the Knicks in three days, they get a feisty Charlotte team at home on Tuesday before embarking on a four-game road trip where they will face Philadelphia, Sacramento, Golden State and Phoenix. We will find out if this team is for real soon. This is a trip where they will either separate themselves from the pack in the Eastern Conference or start to look like the team that was projected to win just 18.5 games this season. No matter how it plays out, it will certainly be fun to watch.
When it’s all said and done, do you expect the Knicks to shake off this rough start and contend for the championship they were built to chase?
KW: While the Knicks have their flaws, the potential is undeniable. This is a team embracing a modern five-out offense, anchored by two elite 3-and-D wings and All-Stars at both the point and center positions. It’s a formula built for championship contention, but success takes time. They’ve yet to field a fully healthy roster, with key pieces like Achiuwa and Robinson still sidelined. When those players return, the Knicks’ ceiling could rise dramatically.
The competition in the East, however, is unforgiving. Boston is playing like a true defending champion, and Cleveland’s undefeated start has caught everyone off guard. Even with a 5-6 record, the Knicks are firmly in the mix, working through growing pains as they try to unlock their full potential.
Both our teams may have the same number of wins, but it’s clear they’re navigating very different trajectories this season. The Knicks are laying the groundwork for something big; the Nets are still searching for their identity.
