The New York Knicks should win the Eastern Conference. They'll have to outlast the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons, sure, and that won't be an easy task. But teams like the Sixers, Heat, Bulls, and Bucks are likely to slow down as the season trudges on.
Thus, the door is wide open for the Knicks to win the conference, which is weaker than it has been in years. Plus, the Knicks own the best home-court advantage in basketball and have the most talented roster of their contemporaries; they can't settle for anything other than the No.