BOSTON — Joe Mazzulla vividly remembers the Knicks’ franchise-altering moves, even if the exact dates escape him.
It was actually June 26th, not the 28th as he mentioned, when New York agreed to send five first-round picks to the Nets for Mikal Bridges. Shortly after, they made another seismic move, re-signing OG Anunoby to the richest contract in team history.
Those decisions sent a clear message to the league—and specifically to the reigning champion Celtics — that the Knicks were now built to challenge the top-tier contenders, including Boston’s formidable duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
“They made the trade, and when you see it, you’re like, ‘Damn, our enemies got better,” Mazzulla said ahead of opening-night tipoff at TD Garden against the Knicks on Tuesday.
The Knicks’ revamped roster promised a compelling first test as the Celtics hosted the Knicks to open the 2024-25 NBA season.
Now, the new-look Knicks have set the stage for a battle of wings.
The Knicks’ acquisitions of Bridges and Anunoby, two premier 3-and-D talents, were made with an eye toward contending with Boston’s lethal combination of Tatum and Brown.
“So what are we gonna do about it? They made trades to get better, and we believe in the roster that we have,” Mazzulla added. “And it’s about us finding internal ways to get better every single day. And they’re a great team, and we think we are too, so it’s a great first test for us, and there will be a lot more on the way, but they’re obviously a great team with a lot of good players, and yeah—we’re gonna see today.”
Tatum and Brown are one of the most dynamic duos in the NBA, but the Knicks’ strategy hinges on neutralizing their dominance with their own pair of wing defenders.
Anunoby has an established reputation as a lockdown defensive stopper, and Bridges uses his combination of length, athleticism and basketball IQ to disrupt opposing offensive sets.
The data skews in Anunoby’s favor in matchups against Tatum, who shot just 5-of-13 from the field for 18 points in their lone matchup following Anunoby’s trade to the Knicks last season.
“I don’t know, just trying to make it difficult for him. He’s a great player. Just trying to make it as difficult as possible for him,” Anunoby explained. “Just to play hard. Make sure you get a contest and then just try to force him, make him as uncomfortable as possible.”
Bridges, too, will be tasked with guarding Tatum in spurts. He called the Celtics’ All-Star forward “skillful” and “strong” and detailed what it takes to attempt to keep him in check.
“He’s just a really tough player,” said Bridges. “He’s going to go out there, be strong, guard, and not foul. Those type of guys, you don’t want to put them on the free throw line cause they get more of a rhythm and more opportunities. So you want to limit them – especially free throws.”
Still, containing two stars with something to prove is no easy task.
Bridges acknowledged that both Tatum and Brown are driven to surpass last season’s championship success.
Tatum, despite winning his first NBA title, found himself sidelined on Team USA’s gold medal roster during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Meanwhile, Brown, the NBA Finals MVP, was overlooked entirely. With teammates like Jrue Holiday and Derrick White earning roster spots, Boston’s All-Star duo now carries an added chip on their shoulders.
The Knicks are ready for the challenge. As head coach Tom Thibodeau said, if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best.
“Those are two All-NBA guys,” Knicks forward Josh Hart said of the Celtics’ All-Star duo, before adding, “We have two All-Defensive guys, so obviously that’s gonna be a fun matchup to tune into and watch if you love basketball and love competition.”
