Knicks Claim NBA Cup, But Eastern Conference Road Still Runs Through Detroit
The New York Knicks are flying high after taking home the NBA Cup, topping the San Antonio Spurs 124-113 in Las Vegas. It's a milestone moment for a franchise that hasn’t lifted a championship banner since 1973. But while the Cup win has fans buzzing, the path to a true title still runs through a loaded Eastern Conference-and one team in particular is looming large.
On ESPN’s First Take, longtime analyst Stephen A. Smith acknowledged the Knicks' impressive run but made it clear: the Detroit Pistons are the team to beat in the East.
“The Eastern Conference looks vulnerable,” Smith said. “But I will confess, the Detroit Pistons are no joke. I’m not shoving them aside-they are coming, and they want the Knicks bad.”
That’s not just talk. Detroit currently sits atop the East at 21-5, with New York trailing 2.5 games behind at 18-7.
And while the standings tell part of the story, it’s the Pistons’ physicality, depth, and defensive identity that make them such a tough out. For all the progress the Knicks have made, they’ll need to go through Detroit if they want to make real postseason noise.
Still, there’s plenty to like about where the Knicks are right now. Smith highlighted the impact of Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby, both of whom have been instrumental in New York’s Cup run.
Brunson continues to lead with poise and shot-making, while Anunoby’s two-way presence has added a new dimension to the Knicks’ lineup. And perhaps most importantly, this team finally has something it’s lacked for years: depth.
“In the end, I’m excited about the Knicks,” Smith added. “I’m looking at a level of depth that the New York Knicks have, how they’re even more efficient offensively. And that gives me cause to get excited.”
That efficiency has been key. The Knicks are moving the ball with purpose, getting contributions up and down the roster, and playing with a confidence that’s been missing in recent years.
It’s not just about talent anymore-it’s about cohesion. And that’s a dangerous combination come spring.
But not everyone is ready to pop champagne over the NBA Cup.
Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, never one to hold back, took aim at the Knicks’ celebration during the same First Take episode. He questioned the legitimacy of the Cup and criticized the team for treating it like a championship moment.
“I apologize, somewhere, Walt Frazier and Willis Reed and Red Holzman are saying, ‘Really? We’re gonna celebrate this stupid thing?’”
Russo said. “This inauthentic creation to jazz up the regular season, which means absolutely nothing in the big picture?”
Russo didn’t stop there. He mocked the Knicks for handing out championship shirts and hats, calling the whole thing “inauthentic” and arguing that serious fans aren’t buying into the hype.
“The idea that anybody thinks this is important-boy, because it’s December, we gotta jazz up the regular season? This is inauthentic,” he said. “You do not convince a serious sports fan about something that’s not authentic, and this is inauthentic.”
To his point, previous NBA Cup winners-the Lakers and Bucks-both flamed out in the first round of the playoffs. So while the Cup is a nice midseason accomplishment, it’s not a predictor of playoff success.
Still, for a franchise starved for any kind of winning moment, the Knicks aren’t apologizing. According to team reporter Ian Begley, the Knicks will celebrate the Cup win before Friday night’s game against the Sixers at Madison Square Garden.
But in a nod to their bigger aspirations, they won’t be raising a banner-unlike the Lakers and Bucks before them. The focus, they say, remains on chasing the real prize: an NBA championship.
So yes, the Knicks are celebrating. But they’re also aware that the road ahead only gets tougher.
The NBA Cup is a step forward, not the finish line. And if they want to hang a banner that truly matters, they’ll have to go through Detroit-and beyond.