Mike Breen spent the first chunk of his appearance on The Rich Eisen Show talking about the 2021 Knicks season. It's been a year to remember for fans who have trudged through bottom-of-the-barrel production in recent years, and because the Knicks hadn't established themselves as a perennial contender, Breen argues that this campaign has been more satisfying than if they had been good every year in recent memory. There's been so much to enjoy — Julius Randle's emergence as an All-Star, Immanuel Quickley's fun offensive display, Derrick Rose's resurgence, Tom Thibodeau's impressive debut season and more — and it's seemingly come out of nowhere.
But even the Knicks didn't crack the list of teams that Breen views as legitimate title contenders. A lot of squads did, though: in fact, more than ever before. The longtime play-by-play announcer spoke with Rich Eisen on his show, available on Audacy, about who we can expect to seriously play for a ring this postseason.
"I don't think I ever remember saying that I could actually see eight different teams win the title... I don't think I've ever said that. If you said five, that would be a lot," Breen explained. "But I really do believe eight teams have a legitimate shot, and you know, all of the intangibles that we just talked about have something to do with it."
He was referencing an earlier snippet in the conversation about the Brooklyn Nets and how, when healthy, Breen sees them as unstoppable an offense as he's ever witnessed on an NBA court. However, health obviously comes into play and will be a huge determinant of the Nets' success in the playoffs. The same goes for most players and teams, be it Joel Embiid and the 76ers, LeBron James and Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz, all of whom have dealt with injuries this year.
"Phoenix and Utah have been tremendous all season. They're right there," Breen said, listing the teams he sees as title-hungry contenders. "The Clippers and, yes, the Lakers as well. And I'd put Denver in there as well, even without Jamal Murray. Denver's got a chance.
"And then you put the top three teams of Philly, Brooklyn and Milwaukee all have a chance. And it depends on who's healthy, it depends on who's obviously clicking at the right time, but it's as wide open as I've ever seen it in all my years doing the league."
For someone as experienced and knowledgeable as Breen, that's saying a whole lot. And it makes us even more excited for the postseason to come, with these eight top dogs vying for a position of power, and sneaky dark horses — perhaps like the Knicks, Warriors and others — looking to create some real upsets as we move forward.
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