Did The Rest Of The NBA Do Enough To Close The Gap With The Knicks?
July 31, 2026
AI Summary
5 min readThe Rest of the NBA Is Chasing the Knicks—But Did They Actually Close the Gap?
The New York Knicks just won a championship. The rest of the NBA spent the offseason trying to catch them. On this episode of Locked On Knicks, host Gavin Shaw runs through every major contender's offseason moves and evaluates whether they did enough to close the gap with the defending champs. His conclusion is measured but pointed: individually, probably not. Collectively, maybe—and that collective depth is what should worry Knicks fans more than any single rival.
The Two Teams That Might Already Be Better
Shaw separates the contenders into tiers, and only two teams land in the top category: the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs. Crucially, neither plays in the Eastern Conference, which means the Knicks would only have to face one of them in the Finals.
Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.
Read Full Summary →Free • No credit card required
Never miss an episode of Locked On Knicks - Daily Podcast On The New York Knicks
Get every new episode summarized in your inbox — free, ~5 minutes to read.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
What you'll learn
- 1 (01:14) **Opening Thesis & Framework** - Gavin Shaw introduces the episode's central question: did other title contenders do enough to close the gap with the Knicks? He previews the four-tier breakdown of teams, starting with the top tier.
- 2 (02:07) **Tier 1: San Antonio Spurs** - Gavin argues the Spurs' offseason bet is that their young core will naturally improve and that they were already the better team for most of their playoff series against the Knicks.
- 3 (06:06) **Tier 1: San Antonio Spurs vs. Knicks by Category** - Gavin breaks down the Spurs' talent, fit, dog factor, and health relative to the Knicks.
- 4 (07:15) **Tier 1: Oklahoma City Thunder** - Gavin argues the Thunder's offseason premise is that they were already better than the Knicks, so no gap needed closing.
- 5 (09:35) **Tier 1: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Knicks by Category** - Gavin compares the Thunder and Knicks across his four categories, finding them very close.
- 6 (13:42) **Tier 2: Boston Celtics** - Gavin explains the Celtics' offseason bet: replacing Jalen Brown and Nikola Vucevic with a healthy Jason Tatum, Paul George, and Mitchell Robinson.
- 7 (17:39) **Tier 2: Boston Celtics vs. Knicks by Category** - Gavin finds the Celtics slightly less talented than the Knicks, but with complementary fit and a strong dog factor.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Guests on this episode
Show Notes
New York Knicks set the standard—can rivals like the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and Oklahoma City Thunder catch up? Gavin Schall ranks every major NBA contender’s offseason, spotlighting blockbuster moves involving Jayson Tatum, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, LaMelo Ball, and LeBron James. Did the reigning champion Knicks lose ground, or are they still the team to beat?
Gavin breaks down each contender’s talent, fit, depth, and the all-important “dawg factor,” comparing star power (Victor Wembanyama, Joel Embiid, Anthony Edwards) and fresh lineups (Cade Cunningham’s Detroit Pistons, Scottie Barnes-led Raptors). Key topics include injury risks for the Celtics and Sixers, the Thunder’s youth movement, and whether the Pistons’ floor-spacing gamble can pay off. The race for the NBA title tightens—will the Knicks maintain their edge, or face stiffer challenges from revamped rosters across the league?
Credit: Dylan Martinez-Imagn Images
Timestamps
00:00 Top NBA teams overview
05:40 Analyzing Knicks and Spurs Rivalry
08:38 Knicks vs. Thunder matchup analysis
12:48 Eastern Conference challenges for the Knicks
13:39 Reevaluating Celtics' Team Dynamic
18:04 Boston Celtics injury concerns
22:22 Managing player workload in Philly
25:59 Rebuilding team with new shooters
29:56 NBA scoring talents and team dynamics
32:50 Betting on Offense with 3-Point Shooters
34:22 Debating Knicks' Championship Prospects
Everydayer Club
If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub
Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!
Odoo
Great organizations win because operations matter. And that’s why you should get Odoo. Try for free today at https://Odoo.com/lockedon.
FanDuel
Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COMto play Daily Dingers and make your free pick on who’s hitting a homer this MLB season.
FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit
More from this podcast
Locked On Knicks - Daily Podcast On The New York Knicks →