Welcome back to Knicks Peripheral.

Shoutout to Mac McClung—one of the best high school hoop mixtapes of my era—for the Dunk Contest thr**-pe** (we’re not giving Pat Riley any money).

Otherwise, the weekend was meh. The last few years, it’s been more worthwhile to go out on Saturday and Sunday and catch the highlights later. Between the over-the-top presentations and the underwhelming efforts, not much has made it much-see TV since Kobe and Gigi passed away. Now, LeBron and Anthony Edwards couldn’t even bother to announce their health statuses until just before the final night.

I went to the Rising Stars tournament games. Three things stuck out to me:

Catch KFTV’s ASG reactions at the end of this article.

Perspectives on contention change when teams have to beat opponents four times out of seven. As dominant as the Thunder have been, they could have a difficult path out the West. Imagine they face Golden State in Round 1, then the Lakers in Round 2, then the Nuggets in the Conference Finals. The Mavs at full strength could also be trouble.

OKC’s young, inexperience, and sporadic offensive droughts make me hesitant to label them as a sure thing. But the defense alone is legit, and they have an opportunity to make dissenters look foolish like the Celtics did last season.

The Cavs’ surprise ascension has shifted the East’s outlook. Now, realistic expectations for the Knicks have lowered from Conference Finals to a competitive second-round loss against the Celtics, who would expose New York’s three-point defense even with a healthy Mitchell Robinson.

Knicks/Pistons in the first round would be gritty, fun, and the worst kind of warmup for New York before facing Boston. And a Bucks/Pacers rematch is the kind of rivalry storyline the NBA could use.

Back out West: which two teams in seeds 7-12 would you take to escape the play-in? Currently, my money’s on Dallas and Golden State. Every team but the Kings and Spurs would face severe identity issues should they be watching Round 1 from the couch.

The race is on to #CaptureTheFlagg. Four teams (Washington, New Orleans, Utah, and Charlotte) have less than 15 wins each. Toronto—the competitive, ethical tankers—are right behind with 17 wins at the break. And Brooklyn and Philadelphia are tied with 20.

After a singular simulation on Tankathon, here’s how the top 10 shook out:

Washington wins the Flagg sweepstakes. The merch would be legendary, unless they believes in Dylan Harper as their point guard of the future. Flagg and Alex Sarr would be a fun defensive core, but Harper projects to be more of the franchise-changing ball-handler. The Wizards have young wings but lack a true floor general.

That ultimatum affects the next one, as San Antonio works their voodoo to jump to #2. Cooper Flagg is the picture-perfect rookie for the Spurs with incredible upside next to Wemby. The rest of the world should hope Washington picks Flagg, leaving the Spurs with a non-Spursian Ace Bailey or Harper in a crowded backcourt. Regardless, that pick would become a valuable asset. The Spurs also have Atlanta’s first, projected 15th overall. How they managed to keep those in the De’Aaron Fox trade is beyond me.

There’s a real possibility the Sixers forfeit their pick to the Thunder should it land outside the top six. This is the first year of Paul George’s $211 million contract, and Tyrese Maxey is averaging a career-high 27.6 points per game. Philly (11th in the East) can pass Chicago, Miami, and Atlanta in the standings, all of which sold key players at the deadline. Would Philly fans accept a tank?

On the flip side, Joel Embiid (17 games played) has dealt with knee issues and may require surgery in the offseason. Paul George (35 games) has missed time as well. And the value of a quality contributor on a rookie deal is higher than ever, especially for a team with three max contracts.

If the Mavericks didn’t trade Luka Doncic, I’d say the standards of general franchise management would be too high to tank. But it happened, and the Eagles just won the Super Bowl, and the Phillies season is close by, so the 76ers could get away with it without pissing off the city too much.

Meanwhile, the Thunder are in line to have another top-ten pick. The front office has shown incredible patience while sitting on a mountain of assets. Maybe, they will never make a splash in a big trade. They might instead extend their contention window through the draft alone.

The Detroit Pistons finished the first half of the season on a four-game winning streak. My prediction is that they will finish the season as a top-five team in the Eastern Conference. Cade Cunningham was selected to the All-Star game for the first time in his career, and head coach JB Bickerstaff has worked to create a strong identity for a team that may make the playoffs for the first time since 2019.

Unfortunately, if this comes to pass, it will eliminate the Pistons’ 2025 second-round draft obligation to the Knicks. Currently, the Pistons’ owed 2nd round pick is protected (31-55). According to Tankathon, the Pistons have the 18th most difficult remaining schedule (SOS) post-All-Star break.

Additionally, the Knicks are also owed the more favorable 2025 second-round picks between the Boston Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies. With Memphis (36-18) having the 4th hardest schedule and Boston (39-16) having the 3rd easiest, it’s more than likely that the Knicks’ only pick from the 2025 draft will come from the Grizzlies.

Although this news doesn’t sound good for all the draft aficionados, the Knicks, historically, have done well to find gems in the second round of the draft like Miles McBride and Quentin Grimes. In fact, with such a top-heavy roster and starting five, teams like the Knicks are better off targeting prospects who are more “NBA-ready” without the allure of projects with high potential.

RJ Louis — Guard — St. John’s — 6’7, 215 — Junior 

17.4 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 45 FG% 

One of the main reasons for the rise of the Red Storm, Louis possesses NBA size at 6’7, 215 lbs. He has a relentless motor and can lock you up on the defensive end of the ball. His scoring has taken a massive leap in his junior year, especially with the mid-range game. He needs work with the handle and his 3p shot: he's shot just 27% from deep in his career, albeit on low volume. 

Eric Dixon — Forward — Villanova — 6’8, 265 — Senior

The nation's leading scorer, Dixon, is a strong, skilled man who can shoot at all three levels. He’s shooting 42% from three at a high volume (7.1 attempts). He has amazing touch around the rim and knows how to finish with brute strength. He doesn't bring much on the defensive end and is not really an NBA center. If he can improve his lateral quickness and athleticism at the next level, he can be a nice rotation player. 

Magoon Gwath — Center — San Diego St — 7’0, 205 — Freshman

Maybe the most intriguing prospect in this class, Gwath has a monster 7’4” wingspan and is the nation's 10th leading shot blocker (2.7). Over the last five games, he has three 4+ block games and is just wrecking games defensively. His offense has come along since the new year, and he's looked more comfortable on the perimeter. Gwath needs to get stronger with his light frame and continue to gain confidence with the ball in his hands. 

JT Toppin — Forward — Texas Tech — 6’9, 225 — Sophomore 

No, he’s not related to Obi and Jacob, but man, he has been scoring at a high clip as of late. In the last three games, he’s scored 32, 41, and 21 points, respectively. He has a monster wingspan at 7’2” and is an elite rebounder, even with his slight frame. His shot mechanics need some tuning up, as he is not a threat yet from the perimeter. His frame and defensive upside give him massive upside. 

Sergio De Larreea — Guard — Spain — 6’6, 175

Here's my deep sleeper, and don't let the stats fool you: Sergio has a lot of game. His playmaking, in my opinion, is one of the best in the 2025 class. He makes precision passes and can handle the rock with the best of them. He can be careless with the ball and not fleet of foot, especially on defense, but his playmaking and improved offense make him someone you need to watch late in the draft if he comes out. 

CP The Fanchise and Alex Trataros react to the All-Star Game. Was it the worst of all-time?