The New York Knicks did almost everything possible to erase doubt last spring.
They won the NBA Cup. They ripped through the playoffs with a 13-game winning streak. They posted the highest postseason point differential in league history. Then they beat the San Antonio Spurs in five games to secure the franchise’s first NBA championship in 53 years.
And yet, Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor still has two teams ahead of them entering 2026-27.
In Yahoo Sports’ preseason power rankings, O’Connor placed the defending champions third, behind the Oklahoma City Thunder at No. 1 and the Spurs at No. 2. The rankings were based on how he views each team’s chances of winning the 2027 NBA Finals.
That positioning is notable considering what New York just accomplished.
Knicks Return Most of Championship Core
The Knicks largely kept the roster that completed their historic run.
Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart remain the foundation. New York also re-signed Jose Alvarado, Landry Shamet, Jordan Clarkson and Mo Diawara.
The significant departure was Mitchell Robinson, who left for Boston. New York replaced him with veteran Andre Drummond.
O’Connor acknowledged Robinson’s rebounding, rim protection and value as a lob threat, but raised an intriguing possibility: The Knicks’ frontcourt might actually improve.
He pointed to New York leaning more heavily on Towns as an offensive hub during the playoffs and noted that Drummond offers passing, decision-making and durability advantages.
“What if Drummond actually is an upgrade?” O’Connor wrote.
That is a significant question for a team that otherwise avoided the type of roster upheaval that often follows a championship.
O’Connor Still Prefers Thunder, Spurs
Oklahoma City earned the top spot despite trading Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins this offseason. O’Connor still views the Thunder as exceptionally deep around two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and believes a more balanced offensive approach could make them even harder to defend.
San Antonio checked in second after pushing New York in the Finals and returning virtually its entire core around Victor Wembanyama, Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox.
The Spurs’ placement is especially interesting considering the Knicks beat them 4-1 in June.
New York won all four of its Finals victories after trailing by double digits, including a 16-point comeback in Game 5. Brunson scored 45 points in the clincher.
Knicks Face Different Challenge as Defending Champions
O’Connor’s biggest concern was not talent.
It was history.
The NBA has produced a different champion in eight consecutive seasons, underscoring how difficult repeating has become. He also pointed out that New York was far less dominant during stretches of the regular season than its postseason run eventually suggested.
That is fair context.
But the Knicks no longer enter a season needing to prove their style can survive four playoff rounds.
They already did that.
Third place in September changes nothing about the banner they will raise this fall. It does, however, give the defending champions something they rarely had during their march through June:
Someone else being placed ahead of them.
Knicks Ranked Behind 2 Teams After Historic Title Run