Welcome to Knicks Peripheral, where we survey the league from an orange and blue point of view. Who’s hot? Who’s not? How do the Knicks compare? Let’s find out.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, under new head coach Kenny Atkinson, are a perfect 14-0 to start the season. What has been a little brother team the last few years won’t take the Knicks’ bullying anymore. The Knicks lost a winable game to the Cavs on October 28, but Cleveland’s for real. They didn’t make major offseason moves: what changed?

Darius Garland (21.1 points on 53.1/45.8/91.4 splits) has returned to form after a broken jaw threw him off rhythm last year. Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen have been themselves. Caris LeVert and New York legend Ty Jerome have held down the bench. And fourth-year player Evan Mobley (17.8 points) has taken another leap in offensive aggression to couple with his all-world defense.

Paolo Banchero (29.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists) was dominant to begin the year before suffering a torn right oblique. But he will return at some point, and the young Orlando Magic, currently third in the East, can compete with anyone with their defensive prowess (ranked second with a 111.3 defensive rating, per StatMuse).

Franz Wagner (22.2 points) has looked like an All-Star in Banchero’s absence. And once newcomer Kentavious Caldwell-Pope regains his shooting touch (23.4% from three), the spacing will improve, and the team’s ceiling will fly open at full strength.

The Celtics are the Celtics. I’m not talking about them. Other familiar foes are struggling to find footing in this first stretch.

We saw up close the drama of the Philadelphia 76ers, who can’t get all three of their stars healthy at once. They sit at 2-10 through 12 games. Paul George, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey have combined for 15 games played. Yes, total. (Just because: their pick is top-six protected, and would go to the Thunder if it drops).

Instead, Philly rookie Jared McCain has been the brightest spot of the year. Despite ESPN covering his TikTok dances more than his skill, the guard has game (14.8 points, 40.4% from three, and a perfect 27-for-27 from the line).

The zombie Miami Heat are mediocre once again, sitting at 5-6. Tyler Herro has been their best player (24.5 points), whereas Jimmy Butler (16.1) and Bam Adebayo (16.6 points on 42.7% field goal) have underwhelmed. With this being the last guaranteed year of Butler’s contract, it might be time for a rebuild. He’s a prime trade candidate.

The Friday Night Knicks pouncing on the Milwaukee Bucks was a microcosm for their season thus far. After yesterday’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets, they sit at 4-9, wasting every bit of another godly Giannis Antetokounmpo year (career-highs 32.3 points on 60.6% from the field, 12.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists). Damian Lillard can’t keep up with anyone on defense. Khris Middleton’s two bad ankles have delayed his season debut. It could be time for a change.

Virginia forward and #28 pick Ryan Dunn started the year on fire for the Phoenix Suns (44% from three in first five games), which begged the question: why didn’t New York draft the high-energy defender? Well, his shooting has since regressed to the expectation (24.1% from three since). The draft experts know their stuff.

Largely, the 2024 NBA draft class hasn’t made much noise, save for McCain, Portland’s Donovan Clingan, Memphis’ Zach Edey, San Antonio’s Stephon Castle, and a few more. New York should be happy with Pacome Dadiet, Tyler Kolek, and Ariel Hukporti so far.

A tough first ten games for the Knicks was expected, considering the competition they played and the time they’ll need to gel. Let’s get to about the 20-25 game mark before we announce any real concerns about Mikal Bridges, the defense, or the rotation. The Cavs and Celtics look great, but New York still has plenty of opportunity to climb.