New York Knicks: 10 Teams with Better NBA Title Prospects

Can the New York Knicks contend for the NBA title this season?

Head coach Mike Woodson seems to think to so.

On paper, the Knicks appear able to make a championship push, but the roller coaster of a regular season suggests otherwise.

While New York's ultimate goal is to take home the Larry O'Brien Trophy, the primary focus right now is earning a postseason bid, which has proven to be a struggle.

And that's the easy part.

Should the Knicks manage to snag a playoff berth, their championship aspirations are far from a reality, as there will be a litany of teams with better title prospects. 

Oklahoma City Thunder

Let's get the obvious out of the way right now.

The Thunder are a Mike D'Antoni dream team. They constantly push the ball and only play defense if it's completely necessary.

At 37-12, Oklahoma City has the league's second-best record. They're sloppy when it comes to ball control, but what they lack in restraint, they make up for in offensive explosion. 

The Thunder's defense is wildly inconsistent but talented enough to lock down even the most star-studded of teams. Their most recent blowout victory over the Heat is an ample indication of the team they truly are.

That's not just scary, that's championship-worthy—a reality the Knicks can only currently dream about.

Chicago Bulls

The Knicks match up fairly well against the Bulls, but any team that goes 13-4—and counting—without the reigning MVP has a better chance at winning a title than a club that struggles to play .500 ball.

Chicago, at 40-11, has a stronghold on the NBA's best record. Their roster has played as well as the Knicks looks on paper, and they continue make a mockery of the rest of the Eastern Conference, including the Heat.

Should New York see the light of the postseason, Chicago is a potential opponent.

Despite two extremely competitive games against the Bulls this season, that's not good news. 

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers haven't exactly been the epitome of consistency all season, but they remain near the top of the highly competitive Western Conference.

Kobe Bryant may be 33, but his ability to stay on the court has put Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony to shame. He continues to put up MVP-caliber numbers and hasn't been goaded into making a slew of negative comments when the going gets tough.

The fact that Los Angeles is 11 games over .500 and having what is considered to be an off year is incredible.

That's how you know their more of a legitimate contender than the Knicks.

Miami Heat

The Heat are fresh off two blowout losses, but they've gone through rough stretches before. And they've also gone through the must more prevalent periods of success.

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, for the most part, continue to make victories look easy. Miami has a clear need for a competent inside presence, yet such a deficiency hasn't proved detrimental to the their title hopes.

The Heat play methodical basketball on both ends of the floor, and their primary superstars, James and Wade, hardly disappear the way that Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire have.

Is Miami the championship lock they were pegged to be early on?

Perhaps not, but they're much closer to title attainment than the Knicks currently are.

San Antonio Spurs

Unlike the Spurs, expectations soared for the Knicks heading into the regular season. Unlike the Knicks again, however, the Spurs have exceeded expectations and emerged as one of the league's most dominant teams.

San Antonio has the fourth-best record in the NBA, and more impressively, trails Oklahoma City by only three games for the Western Conference's top playoff seed.

The Spurs have found a balance between aging veterans and vibrant youth that has rendered them one of the deepest teams there is. 

Tony Parker continues to run their fourth-ranked offense efficiently, Tim Duncan continues to embrace the dirty work and each member of the rotation has come to embrace their respective role.

The collective playoff experience between Parker, Duncan and Manu Ginobili cannot be overlooked either. They know what it takes to win a championship, and that gives them a clear cut edge over not only the Knicks, but most of the league.

Orlando Magic

Despite having consistency issues of their own, the Magic have shown they can come away with a victory over some of the NBA's best teams; the Knicks have not.

Dwight Howard's decision to remain in Orlando, at least through this season, has provided the Magic with a sense of stability they have not had all season. The center's decision certainly looks good on Jameer Nelson, who has begun to turn his disappointing season around over the past five games.

Howard has led the Magic to a fourth-ranked defense and made them a contender through his presence alone.

New York has the star-studded supporting cast that Howard dreamed about, but it is Orlando that continues to ascend through the Eastern Conference hierarchy.

Los Angeles Clippers

While the Clippers are currently engaged in their own struggle to establish an identity, they have found a way to win games in the talent-laden Western Conference.

Los Angeles does not have a commanding lead for the West's fourth-seed, but the fact they have remained that high in the standings, despite playing subpar basketball since the All-Star break is a testament to how talented they really are.

The Knicks, like the Clippers, have battled injuries, but it is Los Angeles who has their head above .500. Chris Paul and company can be wildly inconsistent at times, but they know what it takes to bring down their fellow conference powerhouses.

And if that's not enough, their bill of health, even with Chauncey Billups done for the year, is much cleaner than New York's.

A healthier a team and a better record gives the Clippers better title prospects than the Knicks. 

Indiana Pacers

The Knicks swept a home-and-home against the Pacers, but in the scheme of title chasing, it's Indiana that has the better chances.

While the Pacers have struggled against the East's elite, they have come away with victories over both the Heat and Magic—two teams the Knicks have yet to beat.

Like many of the other teams on this list, the Pacers also have health on their side. Their frontcourt is in much better shape than the Knicks', who in addition to Amar'e Stoudemire (Back) have Carmelo Anthony (Groin), Tyson Chandler (Wrist) and Jared Jeffries (Knee) to worry about.

New York has shown it can beat Indiana, but should the two meet in the playoffs, the Pacers stand to be healthier.

And even if they sidestep one another, the Pacers are more likely to prevail over the Eastern Conference powerhouses than the Knicks.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks are not playing at the same level as they did last season, but their ability to snag the occasional victory over higher-ranked teams gives them an edge over the Knicks.

Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, Shawn Marion, Jason Kidd and even Lamar Odom know what it takes to win a title, and their postseason experience gives them a fighting chance to make some playoff noise.

While the chances are that Dallas falls to one of the clubs near the top of the standings, their window of opportunity, as long as Nowitzki stays healthy, is open wider than New York's this season.

Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies' Jekyll-and-Hyde act continues, but if we are to use last year as a measuring stick, they'll play a little less like Jekyll and a little more like Hyde come playoff time.

While the collective health of the Knicks is dwindling, the Grizzlies are approaching full strength.

Unlike the East, the West has little drop-off in talent between the top and bottom of the playoff picture; the Knicks have the luxury of matching up better against the top teams in the Eastern Conference than some of their playoff bubble counterparts, but the Western Conference is a whole other world.

The Grizzlies will most likely find themselves facing the Lakers or the Spurs in the first round of the playoffs—both of which are beatable matchups for Memphis.

If we are to take the Knicks' struggles at face value, they do not possess the ability to make an improbable postseason run. 

The Grizzlies do.

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