New York Knicks Fare Well In NBA League Pass Rankings

The New York Knicks are a must see team on NBA League Pass in 2016-17 according to Zach Lowe of ESPN.

The New York Knicks are one of the most recognizable franchises in all of sports. Despite having a poor product on the court for the better part of the two decades, they are a team that still draws attention. While much of it is of the negative variety, the Knicks are still a team that people tune in to watch.

If you are not in the New York market, this is where NBA League Pass comes in handy. NBA League Pass allows you to watch out of market games throughout the season, even hearing local commentators. It is a must-have for NBA fans that cannot see their favorite team every night or just enjoy watching in general.

Over at ESPN, Zach Lowe creates an NBA League Pass rankings list. Lowe grades each team from 1-to-10 in five categories; playoffs/zeitgeist, individual highlight production, style, league pass minutia, and unintentional comedy. For definitions of each, follow this link.

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While there are varying opinions on how well the Knicks will fare this season, they are a team that people want to see. They have star power in Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis. They have comeback stories with Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, and Brandon Jennings. There are intriguing international prospects in Mindaugas Kuzminskas and Willy Hernangomez. They have a new head coach in Jeff Hornacek, and the zen master Phil Jackson is always lurking around.

There are headlines galore for the Knicks, as they should garner attention throughout the season. As a result, Lowe has the Knicks as one of his must-see teams on NBA League Pass this season. The Knicks come in at fifth overall, finishing with a score of 34. Here is part of what Lowe says about why they rank so high.

"Watching the Knicks figure out how in the hell they want to play offense is a big enough storyline to sustain viewer interest over the first 20 games. Jeff Hornacek’s comments out of training camp have been inscrutable. They want to use the triangle, but maybe not as often, or not at all sometimes, and, hey, that spread pick-and-roll thingie everyone does seems to work really well!The novelty of that dilemma will wear off, but if the Knicks stay healthy (stop laughing) and hang in the playoff race, they will be a fun watch all season. No one cooks from the triple-threat position like Anthony when he’s toying with dudes, and Porzingis is one of the most exciting players in the league — even more so when the Knicks shift him to center."

Lowe also mentions the announcing team of Mike Breen and Walt Frazier as a reason to tune in. The two play off of each other well during broadcasts, as Breen is one of the better play-by-play guys around and Clyde brings his flare and flavor to the broadcast; tuning in to see what kind of crazy suit that Frazier wears is reason enough to tune in for at least part of the game.

Arguably the best thing about the Knicks, though, is their home court, Madison Square Garden. There is nothing quite like watching a game there, and it is amongst the favorite places for players to play.

The World’s Most Famous Arena has seen plenty of special events outside of basketball, but the aura is there no matter what is being performed or played.

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On paper, the Knicks look like they could be the main attraction at MSG throughout the season. The talent is much improved, it is just about keeping them all healthy. That will be a tall task, but it will be something to keep people coming back to them during the season. They are a worthy NBA League Pass watch every night to see how the new players gel together and to watch Porzingis grow as an NBA player.

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