The Knicks seemed to be more widely praised on Thursday than any time in the last 20 years after swinging a trade for Bojan Bogdanovich and Alec Burks.
But legendary NBA star and current TNT analyst Shaquille O’Neal isn’t among that group.
Talking about the trade during TNT’s NBA coverage Thursday night, Shaq shot down the Knicks as any kind of threat in the Eastern Conference, despite their standing as the fourth seed in the east and performance as one of the best teams in the league in 2024.
“Did it help the Knicks get better? Yes,” Shaq said. “But does it help them win the championship? No. So it don't matter. Doesn’t matter.
“We’re talking championship. Can they beat Boston? No. Can they beat Cleveland right now? No. Can they beat Milwaukee? No.”
The Knicks smacked around Cleveland in the first round last season, and have gotten better since. The Bucks, a team New York beat the last time they faced off, have been struggling. Still, Shaq doesn’t see a team in the Knicks as one with any kind of chance to make a deep playoff run.