2025-26 Outlook for the NYC Big Two: Predicting the Records for the New York Knicks & Brooklyn Nets
Welcome to BadassTakes.com, where we don’t just predict — we takedown the expectations and deliver unflinching forecasts for your favorite teams. Today: two New York teams that couldn’t be in more different places right now.
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The Knicks: Built for the Moment
The Knicks enter the 2025-26 season with momentum, expectation, and a tangible chance to break through. Last season they reached the Eastern Conference Finals, showing they belong near the top of the East.
✅ Why they’re poised to win a lot
• Their stars are legit: Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns form a high-level 1-2 punch. Brunson continues to play at an All-NBA level, averaging over 26 ppg with elite leadership and clutch shooting.
• Improved depth: They added key veteran contributors like Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele to stabilize the bench and provide scoring off the second unit.
• The East is wide open: With injuries, coaching changes, and shifting rosters across the conference, the Knicks have a clear shot at dominating early.
• Vegas agrees: The Knicks’ projected win total sits in the low 50s, signaling that this team is expected to contend.
⚠️ Why they might not hit perfection
• New coaching system: Anytime there’s a leadership or tactical change, there’s an adjustment period — especially for defensive rotations and late-game execution.
• Bench consistency: While improved, the depth still has question marks when starters sit.
• Tough schedule stretches: A brutal post-All-Star road swing could test their chemistry and conditioning.
🎯 Badass Take for the Knicks
Given the balance of talent, depth, and motivation, the Knicks finish the 2025-26 regular season 54-28, landing them among the top 3 seeds in the East and setting up a legitimate Finals push.
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The Nets: Full Rebuild Mode
Across the bridge, it’s a different story. The Brooklyn Nets are embracing a full rebuild and focusing on the future rather than the standings.
🔍 What they’re doing
• Roster overhaul: The Nets brought in Michael Porter Jr. and Terance Mann while loading up on first-round draft picks to build for tomorrow.
• Youth movement: With one of the youngest rosters in the league, this season is all about developing their core and finding out who fits long-term.
• Low pressure, high learning: Fans shouldn’t expect wins — they should expect growth, experimentation, and flashes of potential.
🚧 Why wins will be hard to come by
• Lack of experience: Young teams take time to find chemistry and understand how to close out games.
• Defensive lapses: Expect inconsistency, especially in transition and half-court defense.
• Deep Eastern Conference: With playoff contenders stacked throughout, the Nets will struggle to keep pace.
🎯 Prediction for the Nets
Brooklyn’s 2025-26 campaign is about patience, not playoffs. They’ll finish around 23-59, showing glimpses of promise but staying focused on rebuilding for the future.
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🔮 Final Badass Takes For The Season
• Knicks: The window is now. They’ve got the stars, the grit, and the New York energy to make a real run.
• Nets: The rebuild is real. It’s not about this season — it’s about setting the foundation for the next era of Brooklyn basketball.
Stay locked in to Badass Takes for unfiltered New York hoops talk — because in this city, we don’t do soft predictions. We make Badass Takes.
