The Boston Celtics have been one of the most successful teams in the NBA over the last decade, but are the New York Knicks poised to pass them?
Colin Cowherd thinks so.
On Thursday's episode of "The Herd," Cowherd explained why he thinks the Knicks are better positioned for long-term success than the Celtics.
"When you look at the Knicks and the Celtics, there are things built into the Knicks that are so sustainable long term," Cowherd said.
Cowherd noted that by net rating, New York's best quarter is the fourth quarter, while Boston's worst quarter is the fourth quarter.
"The Knicks have a player in Jalen Brunson who only takes 20% of the cap and is BELOVED... Tatum and Brown, who I'm not sure like each other, eat up 70% of the cap."@colincowherd explains why the Knicks, unlike the Celtics, are built to last pic.twitter.com/9ihvHkDx9R
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) June 4, 2026
He also noted that Jalen Brunson is on a team-friendly deal that only takes up 20 percent of the Knicks' salary cap. Meanwhile, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown consume 70 percent of the Celtics' cap with their massive deals, limiting what Boston can do around them.
Cowherd thinks New York is better in the fourth quarter because its offense runs through Brunson, who's one of the most clutch players in the league. On the other hand, the Celtics have an odd dynamic between Tatum and Brown that can slow down their offense. They also shoot too many threes, which can be tougher to make on tired legs at the end of games.
Based on how the last two postseasons have gone, it's hard to argue with Cowherd. Boston's been the better regular-season team but has won just one playoff series during that time, whereas the Knicks have won five postseason series and are just three wins away from an NBA title.
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