Knicks Drop From 3rd to 16th in ESPN's First Power Rankings of the Season

The defending champions have fallen out of the top tier of the league. In ESPN's first power rankings of the 2026-27 season, the New York Knicks dropped from third in the preseason edition to 16th. That is the biggest slide of any team in the top half of the preseason list. The 1-3 start put them in the middle of the pack, between Atlanta and Charlotte.

The number that stood out to ESPN's panel was 30th. Heading into Tuesday, New York ranked last in the NBA in offensive efficiency and in points per game. Vincent Goodwill pointed to the 40 fourth-quarter points Orlando scored on Sunday, after which Jalen Brunson said, "We get a little comfortable." Goodwill also noted that before Tuesday, Mikal Bridges had yet to make a free throw or a 3-pointer.

The rankings were mostly set before Tuesday's game, and that game helped. According to the Associated Press recap carried by ESPN, New York beat previously unbeaten Detroit 111-97 at the Garden. Karl-Anthony Towns had 27 points and 20 rebounds, Brunson scored 23 after a 1-for-9 first half, and Bridges hit his first four 3-pointers of the season. The Knicks won the third quarter 37-13 and led by 25. The win ended a six-game regular-season losing streak against the Pistons, who ESPN had ranked third. It also kept New York from becoming only the second defending champion to start 0-4.

The three losses still matter. Philadelphia beat New York 106-100 on ring night, Boston won 107-103 and Orlando won 111-102. The Celtics' Jordan Walsh held Brunson to 2-for-7 shooting in the minutes he guarded him, per NBA.com tracking cited by ESPN. Those games showed that a team with a championship roster can still play below that level for long stretches.

What it means for Wednesday in Chicago

The Knicks play the second night of a back-to-back at the United Center against a Bulls team that ESPN ranked 25th. Chicago is also 1-3, and its offense has been worse than New York's. ESPN's Jamal Collier wrote that the Bulls had the league's worst offensive rating through four games. Josh Giddey has been playing through a left wrist injury and is averaging 7.0 points on 33% shooting in 25.5 minutes. Two of the league's least productive offenses meet with New York coming off its best half of the season.

New York is favored on the board for Knicks at Bulls. On Novig, one of 12 venues listed, the Knicks are -264 on the moneyline and Chicago is +257. Earlier in the day, CBS Sports reported a shorter Knicks price of -245. Novig has New York at -7.5 on the spread at +102. The best Knicks spread price anywhere is DraftKings at -6.5 for -118, a full point shorter. The total is 231.5 on Novig, with the over at -104 and the under at -100. DraftKings has the best under price at 232.5 for -108. The sportsbooks' hold runs from 2.9% to 5.1%, so prices are fairly close across venues.

After Chicago, the Knicks visit Philadelphia on Friday, which gives them a chance to avenge the opening-night loss. They host Brooklyn on Nov. 2.